- A Ukrainian Mirage 2000 Pilot described the aircraft’s high effectiveness against Russian drones and missiles, citing a 98% interception rate.
- The Pilot said Ukraine needs more Western fighter jets and longer-range weapons to counter increasing Russian air threats.
A Ukrainian Mirage 2000 Pilot described the aircraft’s performance and the growing need for additional Western support during a rare on-camera interview from an operational airfield.
With only a small number of Mirage 2000 fighters now serving in the Air Force, the appearance of the French-built jet during an active combat sortie provided a direct look at how the platform is being used against Russian air threats.
The Pilot said he previously flew a Soviet-era fighter before transitioning to the Mirage. “Earlier, I flew the Su-27. Now I Pilot the Mirage 2000. My impressions of the new aircraft are very good,” he said. Standing beside the aircraft, he explained the constant pressure of operating from temporary air bases due to ongoing Russian strikes. “We are now at an operational airfield. It is already our third this week. The enemy constantly tries to destroy our equipment.”
He described one of the most recent missions as taking place under direct Russian fire. “The last combat task took place under shelling — Shaheds, missiles. But fortunately, we managed to take the equipment out and save our lives,” he noted.
According to the Pilot, Ukrainian aircrews trained directly in France. “I trained in the French Republic together with French fighter Pilots. For about six months we were taught to Pilot and use weapons on the Mirage 2000 two-seat training aircraft. Then we switched to the single-seat aircraft — the very one I am in now.”
The primary weapon visible on the aircraft was the Magic 2 missile. “This is the Magic 2 missile. It has shown itself very effectively. It has almost a 100% kill rate,” he said.
According to the Pilot, the jet’s success rate against Russian drones and missiles is extremely high.
“The effectiveness of shooting down enemy drones and missiles on this aircraft is 98%. These are impressive numbers.” He said the jet currently carries six kill markings but noted the number should be higher. “There are six, but actually many more. Sometimes we simply do not have time to add the markings.”
Despite the aircraft’s strengths, he underscored a critical limitation: Ukraine needs longer-range weapons to keep up with the scale of Russian air attacks. “In my opinion, and in the opinion of my comrades, this aircraft lacks weapons of a longer range — something between efficiency and lower cost, so we can fight the number of enemy air-attack assets we face.”
He also stressed that Ukraine must continue to expand its fleet. “We need to develop. We need to get more new aircraft, more new weapons, to be able to resist the onslaught of the horde threatening us.”
On the question of future platforms, he said transitioning to more advanced Western jets would be straightforward. “If I could switch to another aircraft better than the Mirage, I would probably switch to Rafale. Because it is an aircraft of the same country. Retraining will be much faster.” He added that Rafale’s ability to carry the Meteor beyond-visual-range missile would give Ukrainian Pilots far better tools against Russian aircraft.
He said he would also welcome other advanced Western fighters. “If I am offered something like the F-35, Rafale, Gripen, I would gladly, without hesitation, switch to this equipment.”
He closed by emphasizing one point: Ukrainian Pilots are ready, but they need Western support to keep fighting. “We are ready to do our job at any time, but the only thing we need is help from our partners in supplying this weaponry and all other weapons they can provide us.”