The fighter jets were flown by Ukrainian pilots who had been trained for several months in France.

On Thursday, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed that the first batch of Mirage 2000 fighter jets from France have arrived in Ukraine.

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The fighter jets were flown by Ukrainian pilots who had been trained for several months in France, he said in a post on social media X. However, Lecornu did not specify the number of the delivered or the total number of jets that France plans to deliver to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also confirmed the transfer of the fighters and thanked Macron for keeping his word. “The Ukrainian air fleet continues to expand,” he said.

According to the French daily Le Monde, the French Air Force owns only a limited number of fighters — 26 Mirage 2000-5 jets out of around 200 Mirage and Rafale aircraft. These fighters barely suffice for France to carry out all the missions for which it is responsible on a day-to-day basis.

Previously, on June 6, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would provide Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine.

The French Mirage 2000 fighters are particularly equipped for air-to-ground combat and protection against electronic warfare. Other European countries have also promised the Zelensky regime the delivery of several contingents of U.S.-made F-16s, a model very common in Europe.

teleSUR/ JF Sources: EFE – Xinhua

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