France and the Netherlands delivered fighter jets to Ukraine, giving Kyiv a major boost in its ability to defend Ukrainian airspace amid an almost daily barrage of Russian attacks.
In Paris, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a post on X on February 6 that an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5 fighters had arrived in Ukraine, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had also taken possession of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.
“The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a long-awaited reinforcement—the first French fighters Mirage 2000 and F-16s from the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
“These modern fighting machines are already in Ukraine and will soon take on combat missions, strengthening our defense and ability to effectively resist Russian aggression.”
Lecornu said in a post on X that with “Ukrainian pilots on board after training for several months in France, they will now help defend the skies over Ukraine.”
Paris announced it would deliver Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine in early 2025, armed with air-to-ground missiles and electronic warfare countermeasures.
Ukraine has long sought modern Western fighter jets, especially F-16s and Mirage fighters. In 2023, several allied nations agreed to transfer F-16s to Ukraine with U.S. approval, and the first batch arrived in August 2024.
“This is another step in strengthening Ukraine’s security,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the arrival of the planes, which can fly at double the speed of sound.
“With the latest deliveries, we are also continuing to expand our F-16 fleet, with the Netherlands fulfilling its commitments to support this effort,” he added.
Israeli aviation expert David Sharp told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service’s Donbas.Realities in an interview that the newly acquired jets will replace older Soviet Su-24s and can employ Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles.
They will also be key in short- and medium-range combat missions and “of course, against Shahed drones and cruise missiles.”
“As hunters of these, they’re better than Soviet planes, which means they can save Ukrainian lives every night,” he added.
The announcement comes as Ukraine looks to blunt widespread Russian air attacks and gains on the front lines as the war approaches its third anniversary on February 24.
At the same time, Kyiv has been taking the offensive where it can to strengthen its position as the West looks to jump-start talks toward a ceasefire and eventual peace agreement.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on February 6 an overnight drone strike on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airbase in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
According to Ukrainian military officials, the base served as a key location for the storage, preparation, and deployment of Shahed drones and the maintenance of aircraft supporting Russian operations in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions.
Russian Telegram channels and residents of the town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk reported the drone strike, with videos circulating online showing flames near the airfield.
The head of the local district confirmed that air defense systems had been activated in response to drone activity.
At the same time, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight downed 28 Ukrainian drones—13 over the Sea of Azov, eight over the Rostov region, six over Krasnodar Krai, and one over Astrakhan.
In another incident, three people were allegedly killed by a Ukrainian drone strike inside Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram that the incident took place near the village of Logachyovka, which has been declared off-limits due to ongoing drone attack threats since late October 2022.
