First batch of Mirage 2000 fighters will arrive in Ukraine in January – media

The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive the first three Dassault Aviation Mirage 2000−5F fighters in January, reports the Avions Legendaires publication.

It is likely that the first three aircraft will be delivered by January 20, 2025. Some sources even suggest that they are already present in Ukraine, but are currently used only for training flights.

It is noted that these fighters, taken from the French Air Force, have been modified, and about ten aircraft of this type will have Ukrainian markings.

France has optimized the Mirage 2000−5F in such a way that they can carry and launch SCALP-EG and Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

According to Avions Legendaires, they are the result of long negotiations between the presidents of France and Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"The French and Ukrainian presidents have made the Mirage 2000−5F one of the markers of our country's military aid, like the Caesar cannon or the AMX-10RC tanks before it,” the article says.

It is reported that it took the pilots of the Ukrainian Air Forces several months to learn how to maneuver the fighters.

"Although the Mirage 2000-5F may initially appear to be a small and light fighter compared to the Fulcrum and Flanker, Ukrainian pilots quickly understood that it is also a formidable aircraft designed to come into contact with the enemy,” the publication notes.