Kiev [Ukraine], February 8: Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on February 6 that the country had received the first batch of Mirage 2000 fighter jets from France as well as F-16 fighter jets (made in the US) from the Netherlands.
"These modern fighters have arrived in Ukraine and will soon begin performing combat missions, strengthening its defense capabilities and increasing its ability to effectively counter Russian aggression," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said. The Mirage 2000 is the latest sophisticated fighter jet that Ukraine has received from its allies after receiving its first F-16s last summer, according to Reuters.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense said it would not disclose the number or timing of F-16 deliveries to Ukraine for security reasons. The Netherlands had promised to deliver a total of 24 F-16s to Ukraine, in addition to those it had provided to a Ukrainian pilot training center in Romania. French officials also cited security reasons in refusing to specify the number of Mirage 2000s delivered to Ukraine, although they said the fighters had been modified to carry out air-to-ground attacks. Of the 26 Mirage 2000s in the French Air Force, six will be delivered to Ukraine, according to a report by the French parliament late last year.
Ukraine has been supplied with more fighter jets as the conflict with Russia has lasted nearly three years and shows no signs of abating. TASS news agency quoted Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian army Vasily Trushin as saying yesterday that Russian forces are attacking in almost all areas of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine thanks to adjustments in combat tactics. On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian army of carrying out eight attacks near the villages of Ulanok and Cherkasskaya Konopelka in Russia's Kursk region on February 6, according to Reuters.
Also on February 6, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Russia would not accept a "temporary ceasefire" as a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to RT. Ms. Zakharova argued that a pause in fighting would only allow Ukraine to rearm and become ready to continue the conflict, and "would be used by the West to strengthen the military potential of the Kyiv regime ". She stressed that Russia "needs reliable, legally binding agreements and mechanisms to ensure that the conflict will not recur".
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
