France has transferred Mirage-2000 fighter jets to Ukraine, but the actual number is far lower than earlier projections, according to Defense Express.
Citing France’s annual Defense Ministry report, the outlet notes that the French Air Force had 23 Mirage 2000-5F aircraft as of December 31, 2024, down from 28 a year earlier.
The report also says two-seat Mirage 2000B aircraft have been fully converted to training platforms and are used to train pilots for the Mirage 2000D and Mirage 2000-5.
“Thus, Ukraine, at least as of the beginning of the year—when the reinforcement of Ukraine’s air power with Mirage 2000-5s was announced—could have received only up to five fighters that were withdrawn from the French Air Force,” Defense Express analysts conclude.
Paris has never disclosed how many jets were sent to Ukraine. Earlier media reports speculated about a possible transfer of 20 Mirage 2000-5Fs—the entire combat-capable fleet—while other estimates suggested 12 as the most likely number, and six as a compromise.
Analysts also note Ukraine may have received fewer than five jets, with one possibly retained in France for training pilots and technicians, leaving only four physically transferred.
In July, during a flight mission on a Mirage-2000, an equipment failure occurred. The pilot ejected.
Later, it emerged that the French multirole Mirage-2000 crashed in Ukraine’s Volyn region and sank in a bog.
