DefenseThe Ukrainian Air Force has lost another Western fighter, this time the first Mirage 2000-5 supplied by France. The Dassault aircraft suffered an equipment failure during an assignment on Tuesday and crashed. The pilot managed to eject safely.
Images shared on social media hours after the crash show a fireball in the sky and smoke on the ground, as well as a parachute, but their authenticity could not be confirmed.
The Air Force stated in a post that an “Equipment failure occurred, which the pilot reported to the flight controller. The pilot then acted competently, as is expected in crisis situations, and successfully ejected. A rescue crew found the pilot in a stable condition.”
According to Ukrainian officials, there were no casualties on the ground in the crash. The accident reportedly occurred in the Volyn region, in the northwest of the country.
Second Western Fighter
The Mirage 2000-5 was the second Western fighter jet transferred to Ukraine after the F-16 was sent. France delivered the first aircraft in February, reconfigured for ground attack. The number of fighters, however, is kept confidential.
Since August, the Air Force has lost three more F-16s, two of whose pilots did not survive.
The circumstances of the crashes are unclear, with officials only reporting that the supersonic jets were on missions to counter Russian drone and missile attacks.
