Ukraine Receives F-16 And Mirage 2000 Fighter Jets, Defense Minister Umerov: Immediately Carry Out Combat Missions

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. (Twitter/@rustem_umerov)

JAKARTA - The newly received F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets by Ukraine are soon undergoing combat missions, increasing their ability to confront Russian aggression, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

In Thursday's announcement Ukraine said it had received the first batch of French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets, as well as US-made F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands.

President Volodymyr Zelensky praised France and the Netherlands for their commitment to help modernize the Ukrainian air force.

"These modern warplanes have arrived in Ukraine and will soon begin implementing combat missions, strengthening our defenses and increasing our ability to effectively counter Russian aggression," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

It is known, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion three years ago, as a large weapon of the Ukrainian Air Force was outdated, inheriting the legacy of the Soviet Union which disbanded in 1991.

Mirage-2000 jets are in Ukraine!Welcome to the family!Thank you, France 🇺🇦🤝🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/xormZMnhYn

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 6, 2025

Mirage-2000 jets are in Ukraine!Welcome to the family!Thank you, France belongs to pic.twitter.com/xormZMnhYn

Now, facing Russian advances in the east and long-range airstrikes, Ukraine has repeatedly pressured Western allies to supply it with increasingly sophisticated weapons and ammunition including armored vehicles, tanks, long-range missiles, and F-16 fighters.

Mirage 2000 is Ukraine's newest advanced jet from allies after the first F-16 arrived last summer, marking a military milestone for the country.

The exact number of F-16 and Mirage fighter jets sent was not disclosed.

Separately, the Dutch Defense Ministry said it was considering security reasons, they would not comment on the delivery time, nor on the amount supplied at any given time.

The Netherlands itself has pledged to deliver a total of 24 F-16s to Ukraine, in addition to fighter jets it supplies to training centers for Ukrainian pilots and crew in Romania.

French officials also cited security reasons when refusing to say how many warplanes had been supplied, although they said the jet had been customized to allow air-to-ground strikes.

However, a French Parliament report at the end of 2024 states that of the 26 Mirage 2000 fighter jets in the French air force, six will be awarded to Ukraine.

Mirage 2000 is a single-engine multi-role fighter jet. Last June, President Emmanuel Macron promised, France would train Ukrainian pilots to fly jets made by Dassault, which is a new step in military support for Kyiv.

Mirage fighter jets, which have been replaced by Rafale fighter jets in the French air force, were originally designed for close range air combat.