France supplies Mirage fighter planes, Netherlands F-16 to Ukraine

France supplies Mirage fighter planes, Netherlands F-16 to Ukraine

The Ukrainian Air Force receives a significant thrust in its Fight against Russia . The first Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from France and F-16 aircraft from the Netherlands arrived in Ukraine on Thursday. This step comes at a critical time in the almost three -year conflict, which was triggered by the Russian invasion in 2022.

Confirmation of transfer by France

The French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed in a contribution to X (formerly Twitter) the transfer of the Mirage jets. These are flown by Ukrainian pilots who have been training in France for months. French President Emmanuel Macron had already assured the delivery of the Mirage jets last summer.

strengthening the defense of Ukraine

Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov was pleased with the entrance to the “first French Mirage 2000-fight jets and F-16 from the Kingdom of the Netherlands” and emphasized that these modern fighter planes will soon be carried out. "You strengthen our defense and increase our ability to effectively counter the Russian aggression," added Umerov.

Zelensky thanks for support

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj thanked Macron for “his leadership and support on Thursday.” Selenskyj stated: "The President of France holds his word and we are grateful for that."

new possibilities for the Ukrainian Air Force

The new purchases are expected to improve the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces, attack soil goals, to intercept enemy aircraft and to intercept. The latter role is particularly important because Russia has strengthened its rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities. Dozens of rockets are often fired in one night, which is heavily stressed by the Ukrainian air defense systems.

attacks on civil goals

Last weekend there was a Russian attack on a residential building in Central Lucraine, in which at least 14 people died, as the emergency services announced. In January, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Facebook that an F-16 pilot successfully destroyed six Russian rockets in December.

analysis of the military aircraft

The military vanalyst Peter Layton from the Griffith Asia Institute said that the Mirage Jets could be particularly suitable for air defense so that the F-16 can be cleared for other missions. According to Layton, the Mirages could start faster than the F-16. "I would keep the Mirages on alert so that they can take off within a few minutes to intercept incoming marching aircraft and Shahhed drones," said Layton.

Expansion of the attack options

In addition, the Mirages could also be used to combat goals within Russia by firing long -range missiles such as the Scalp, also known as Storm Shadow. According to the CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, the Mirages of Ukraine could also offer an additional platform to attack the Russian Black Sea fleet because the jets can wear exocet marching aircraft.

need for support

Ukraine urgently needs any support in its ongoing conflict. The fight has not ended, despite the promises of US President Donald Trump, to quickly achieve an armistice. The Ukrainian army will continue to be pushed back on the front lines in the east due to the superior Russian troop strength.

Current status of the Air Force

The announcements of Thursday did not specify the number of fighter jets that were handed over to Ukraine by the two NATO allies. So far, however, Ukraine has only a few western fighter planes in its fleet. Last summer, Ukraine received its first F-16, and Selenskyj thanked the Netherlands, Denmark and the USA for the aircraft without announcing the exact number. Reports show that two F-16 have been lost, according to a list of the fighter planes used worldwide, the Ukrainian fleet currently has two F-16 and 58 more in order.

outlook on the air fleet

According to Flight Global, France had active 26 Mirage 2000-5 in his Air Force at the beginning of 2025. These aircraft are the oldest in the French fleet and are to be replaced by Rafale jets in the coming years. It is still unclear how many Mirage Jets are transferred to Ukraine.

Analyst Leighton estimates that Ukraine could receive a total of 95 f-16 and about two dozen Mirage. "None of the aircraft will be available in sufficient quantities to offer the aerial combat skills that Ukraine currently needs in their war against Russia," he added. "Ideally, the Ukrainian Air Force should have around 200 to 220 fighter jets."