Russia has issued a stern warning following France’s decision to supply Ukraine with Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, declaring that the aircraft will be "swiftly destroyed" if deployed near the front lines.
The warning came from Rostec, Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate, which dismissed the Mirage 2000-5 as “significantly inferior” to modern Russian warplanes. According to Rostec, the jets—like the US-supplied F-16s—are outdated and would only be effective if operated far from the battlefield.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu recently confirmed the arrival of the first batch of Mirage 2000-5 jets, which will be piloted by Ukrainian airmen trained in France. The move underscores France’s growing military assistance to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to Paris, calling the jets a valuable addition to the country’s defense capabilities.
However, Moscow sees the supply of Western fighter jets as an escalation and has repeatedly warned that such aid will only prolong the war without altering Russia’s strategic objectives. The Kremlin maintains that any foreign aircraft deployed in contested airspace will be treated as legitimate targets.
As Ukraine continues to reinforce its air force with Western-provided weaponry, the battlefield dynamics are set to evolve, but Russia’s threat signals a heightened risk for any aircraft venturing into its crosshairs.