Ukraine to purchase 100 French fighter jets to spice up defenses as Russia continues assaults, seizes extra floor

Smiling on the tarmac of an airbase outdoors Paris, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a take care of French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday for his nation to purchase as many as 100 of France’s most superior Rafale fighter jets over the subsequent decade. 

The plane is one of the best navy jet that France has for air-to-air fight, missile interceptions and for longer-range strikes — capabilities which can be essential to defend Ukraine’s cities from Russia’s relentless missile and drone assaults going into the winter. 

“It will likely be the best air protection — one of many biggest on the earth,” Zelenskyy instructed reporters after he signed the letter of intent for the acquisition with Macron on the Villacoublay navy airbase. The Ukrainian president has pushed his Western companions for months to bolster the nation’s air protection capabilities amid relentless Russian missile and drone strikes.

In a single day, Russia’s navy launched greater than 100 extra missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing a minimum of three folks within the japanese Kharkiv area and hitting vitality amenities within the southern Odesa area, knocking out electrical energy to 1000’s of properties, based on Ukrainian officers.

There was no instant response from the Kremlin to the French-Ukrainian navy settlement, which each Paris and Kyiv touted as a landmark second.

“At this time marks a major second, really historic for each our nations — France and Ukraine,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a social media submit, including that the joint protection settlement, “allows Ukraine to acquire navy gear from France’s protection industrial and technological base, together with 100 Rafale F4 plane by 2035 for Ukraine’s fight aviation, SAMP/T air-defense programs, air-defense radars, air-to-air missiles, and aerial bombs.” 

“Joint initiatives between our protection sectors may even start this yr,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “We’ll co-produce interceptor drones and work on creating crucial applied sciences and elements that may be built-in into Ukrainian drones. New plane, new reinforcements, new steps to strengthen our military and our nation. I’m deeply grateful to France, President Emmanuel Macron, and all of the French folks.”

Macron posted a photograph of the 2 leaders smiling in entrance of a Rafale jet, with the flags of each nations as a backdrop. The caption, in each French and Ukrainian, mentioned merely: “Nice day.”

The presidents additionally visited the headquarters of a nascent multinational power for post-war Ukraine, simply west of Paris at Mont Valérian. The plan is for navy officers from the so-called “Coalition of the Prepared” nations to be based mostly on the facility to supervise tactical and operational preparations in Ukraine when the struggle lastly stops.

The U.Okay. and France have successfully co-led the casual coalition, which now counts 34 nations as members.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to journey to Spain on Tuesday, the place he is anticipated to carry talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe VI to rally extra assist for Ukraine’s defenses.