United to win: Ukraine’s Air Force to receive Mirage 2000-5 jets from France by end of first quarter of 2025

The Ukrainian Air Force is set to receive Mirage 2000-5 fighters from France by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

The head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, stated this on Sud Radio.

The head of the French department emphasized that the Ukrainian Defense Forces will soon receive French military aircraft.

"French Mirages will soon fly over Ukraine. At the end of the quarter, as announced by the President of the Republic [Emmanuel Macron, President of France – ed.]," the minister said.

For reference:

As reported, on September 20, 2023, information appeared in the media that Ukraine was negotiating with France on the transfer of Mirage 2000 attack aircraft.

Previously, information was spread that Ukrainian pilots were allegedly in France, where they were undergoing training on Mirage 2000 attack aircraft. Later, the Ministries of Defense of both countries denied these statements.

Subsequently, the former spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, said that Ukraine needed multi-purpose modern aircraft, so the French Mirage 2000s were not a worthy option.

Since early 2024, discussions have resurfaced about Ukraine potentially receiving French Mirage 2000 aircraft. While these jets aren't meant to replace the F-16s, they can certainly back up the Soviet bombers currently in Ukraine's armed forces.

President Zelensky also confirmed that there was a conversation with French partners regarding the possibility of supplying Mirage 2000 aircraft.

In October 2024, French media unofficially reported that the initial batch of Mirage 2000-5 aircraft, which France plans to deliver to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025, will consist of three jets.