Ukraine has misplaced certainly one of its French Mirage fighter jets resulting from a technical malfunction, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Wednesday, dealing one other blow to its air defence capabilities.
In a video message revealed on X, Zelensky stated the pilot ejected safely and that the incident was not attributable to Russian forces.
The Ukrainian Air Power stated the plane crashed on Tuesday night after a failure within the “air site visitors tools.” The pilot, who used the ejector seat to flee, reported the problem. The air power stated there have been no accidents or fatalities from the incident.
Ukraine acquired its first Mirage jets from France in February, with Ukrainian pilots skilled in France to function the plane. France didn’t disclose what number of planes it delivered or what number of it’s going to provide in whole, however French media reported plans to switch six of the air power’s 26 Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron introduced the supply final yr to assist Ukraine defend its territory and airspace. The jets have been upgraded with new tools, together with to counter digital jamming, earlier than supply.
The lack of the jet highlights the continuing challenges in Ukraine’s air defence, which continues to wrestle towards Russian drone and missile assaults.
