Through a brief statement published on its Telegram channel, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that it is awaiting the delivery of additional Mirage 2000-5 fighters from France, aiming to strengthen its combat aviation in the face of the Russian invasion. The development follows a new round of negotiations between Ukraine’s new Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, and the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin.
Quoting the portion of the statement referring to the upcoming transfer: “The French side is preparing to transfer Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine (…) We are grateful to France for its continued political and military support.” It is worth recalling that Kyiv received the first Dassault-designed aircraft in early 2025 as part of a bilateral agreement with Paris focused on reinforcing Ukraine’s defenses. That agreement also included the training of future Ukrainian pilots in France over several months, as well as adaptation work to tailor the Mirage 2000-5 to the operational environment in which they would be employed.
Among the modifications reportedly introduced are the integration of new self-protection countermeasures, an updated electronic warfare package, and expanded capabilities for conducting strikes against ground targets. It was also highlighted that the aircraft were delivered equipped with RDY radars, offering greater performance than the previously used RDM and RDI models. This facilitated the platform’s rapid operational integration, although the first Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5 loss was recorded in July 2025.
The Ukrainian statement also referenced negotiations aimed at securing additional weaponry to equip the Air Force’s combat aircraft. One of the most notable elements is the transfer of a new batch of AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs. In this regard, France has partnered with Norway to expand production of these munitions and facilitate their transfer to Ukraine. To that end, Oslo is expected to contribute more than €365 million, while Paris will provide an additional €260 million.
Additionally, there have been mentions of the potential delivery of another batch of SCALP-EG missiles to further enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities. These missiles have already been used in combat on multiple occasions and are integrated into the Ukrainian Air Force’s Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft, as well as the Mirage 2000-5. The system is capable of striking enemy targets at distances of between 250 and 400 kilometers, using automatic target recognition algorithms and neutralizing them with a powerful 400-kilogram warhead.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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