Russia’s Rostec defense conglomerate claims the Mirage 2000 is significantly outmatched by modern Russian aircraft.
Rostec asserts that the French Mirage 2000 fighter jets recently delivered to Ukraine will be quickly destroyed by Russian forces if used near the front lines.
Following French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s Thursday announcement of the first Mirage 2000-5 delivery, promised last summer by President Macron, Rostec issued its warning. Ukrainian pilots trained in France will operate these jets.
A Rostec representative told Tass news agency on Saturday that any attempt to use the Mirage 2000 in dogfights or airstrikes near the front would result in their immediate destruction.
The representative characterized the Mirage 2000 as an obsolete aircraft, significantly inferior to contemporary Russian fighter jets.
Similar to the US-made F-16s supplied to Ukraine, the French aircraft are only suitable for use deep within Ukrainian territory, according to the Rostec representative.
The representative further criticized the F-16’s performance, describing it as far worse than anticipated.
The highly publicized delivery of F-16s has yielded minimal battlefield impact. Ukraine lost its first F-16 on its inaugural mission in early September 2024, reportedly mistakenly shot down by a Western-supplied Patriot air defense system. Subsequent combat reports involving F-16s have been scarce.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov welcomed the arrival of the Mirage 2000s and additional F-16s from the Netherlands on Thursday, declaring improved Ukrainian airspace security. President Zelensky also expressed gratitude to President Macron for the jet delivery.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western arms supplies to Ukraine will not hinder Russia’s military objectives but will only prolong the conflict and increase the risk of direct confrontation with NATO.