Kiev [Ukraine], July 23: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 23 that the country's air force had recorded the first loss of a French-funded Mirage 2000 fighter jet.
Mr. Zelensky said Ukraine lost a Mirage 2000 fighter jet during a mission on July 22, and affirmed that the plane was not shot down by Russia.
"Unfortunately, we lost a fighter jet. A French plane, very effective, one of the Mirage. The pilot ejected safely," AFP reported on July 23, citing President Zelensky .
The Ukrainian Air Force said the incident occurred during a mission on the evening of July 22 and there were no casualties on the ground. Kyiv said the pilot reported the incident, performed routine operations and ejected using his ejection seat.
France delivered the first Mirage 2000 to Ukraine in February to improve Ukraine's air combat capabilities. Ukrainian pilots and mechanics were trained in eastern France to fly the Mirage. The aircraft, first introduced in 1984, has undergone modifications to help Ukraine counter Russian jamming measures.
The Mirage 2000 is a single-engine fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France. More than 600 Mirages have been produced and are in service with a number of countries. According to the specifications on the Dassault Aviation website, the Mirage 2000 can reach a speed of 2,700 km/h, is 14 m long, has a wingspan of 9 m, a ceiling of 18 km, and is equipped with 9 weapon pylons. The Mirage 2000 fighter production program was discontinued in 2007.
France plans to retire its Mirage 2000 fighter jets to make way for the more modern Rafale fighter jets. Defense News reported in February that France plans to retire the Mirage 2000-5 variant in 2029 and the Mirage 2000D in 2035.
Several Mirages were delivered to Ukraine by Paris. They are also one of the few fighter models that Kyiv has received from Western partners, besides the US-made F-16 fighter.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
