The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces used the Mirage-2000 fighter jets, provided by France, for the first time in repelling a massive Russian attack. This occurred on the night of March 7, when the terrorist state launched another wave of cruise missiles and drones targeting Ukrainian cities. (You can find an article about these jets via the link.)
As noted on the official Facebook page of the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on the night of March 7, Russia carried out a combined strike with missiles of various types, including air-, ground-, and sea-launched, against Ukraine. “The primary focus of the attack was on Ukraine’s gas extraction industry,” the Air Force stated. “According to preliminary data, the radio-technical forces of the Air Force detected and tracked 261 enemy aerial threats, including 67 missiles of various types, as well as 194 strike drones and various types of drone decoys.”
The occupiers used X-101/X-55 missiles, Kalibr, Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, S-300 missiles, and guided air-to-surface missiles X-59/69. They focused on energy and civilian infrastructure targets in the Odesa, Poltava, Kharkiv, and Ternopil regions. Ukrainian Armed Forces communication officer Dmytro Lykhovyi noted that this was the first large-scale combined attack by the Russians since the United States ceased providing assistance to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat stated that Ukrainian military forces were able to shoot down 134 aerial targets, including:
- 25 X-101/X-55 cruise missiles
- 8 Kalibr cruise missiles
- 1 guided air-to-surface missile X-59/69
- 100 Shahed-type strike UAVs (drones of other types).
He added that around ten enemy missiles failed to reach their targets, and 86 enemy decoy drones were lost in specific locations without any negative consequences.
The air attack was repelled by anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces of Ukraine. Additionally, fighter aviation was involved, including F-16s and French Mirage-2000 aircraft. The French fighters arrived in Ukraine just a month ago, and this was their first involvement in repelling an enemy airstrike. It is noted that France has also increased its provision of intelligence data to Kyiv, necessary for countering Russian attacks, after the United States ceased sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
“The Mirages successfully intercepted Russian cruise missiles,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his Twitter page, adding that the missiles and drones were targeting infrastructure essential for normal life. “Currently, repair and restoration work is ongoing everywhere it’s needed. Unfortunately, there are damages to ordinary residential buildings,” he noted.
Naftogaz Group reported that this was the 17th combined attack on the group’s energy infrastructure: “Production facilities responsible for gas extraction have been damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties.”
Volodymyr Zelensky reminded that the first steps towards real peace must include forcing the single source of this war, Russia, to stop such attacks. “This can be truly controlled. Silence in the sky – a ban on the use of missiles, long-range drones, and aerial bombs. And also silence at sea – a real guarantee of safe navigation. Ukraine is ready to follow the path to peace, and it is Ukraine that has wanted peace from the first second of this war. The task is to force Russia to stop the war,” his statement reads.
Source: politico
