French Mirage-2000 fighter jets have officially entered combat over Ukraine.
The jets played a key role in repelling a large-scale Russian missile attack that targeted the country’s critical infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s Air Force Command on March 7.
The overnight assault involved a coordinated barrage of air-, land-, and sea-launched missiles, with Russian forces focusing particularly on Ukraine’s gas extraction facilities.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that its anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile air defense groups were activated to counter the attack.
In a historic first, French-supplied Mirage-2000 fighter jets, which arrived in Ukraine just a month ago, participated in an air defense operation alongside F-16s.
"Fighter aviation was also involved, including F-16 and Mirage-2000 aircraft. It is worth noting that the French fighter jets, which arrived in Ukraine just a month ago, participated in repelling an enemy air attack for the first time," the Ukrainian Air Force stated.
Heavy Russian Air Assault Met With Strong Defense
According to preliminary data, Ukrainian forces detected 261 Russian air targets, including:
67 missiles of various types
194 attack UAVs and decoy drones
By 10:00 am, Ukrainian forces had confirmed 134 air targets shot down, including:
25 Kh-101/Kh-55sm cruise missiles
8 Kalibr cruise missiles
1 Kh-59/69 guided missile
100 Shahed-type attack drones
Additionally, up to ten Russian missiles failed to reach their targets, and 86 decoy drones were intercepted by electronic warfare systems.
The deployment of Mirage-2000 fighter jets marks a significant escalation in Western military support for Ukraine.
Just weeks ago, the French military released a video showing Ukrainian pilots training on the Mirage 2000-5, which has now officially seen combat against Russian airstrikes.
