Ukraine has lost one of its French Mirage fighter jets due to a technical malfunction, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday, dealing another blow to its air defence capabilities.
In a video message published on X, Zelensky said the pilot ejected safely and that the incident was not caused by Russian forces.
The Ukrainian Air Force said the aircraft crashed on Tuesday evening after a failure in the "air traffic equipment." The pilot, who used the ejector seat to escape, reported the issue. The air force said there were no injuries or fatalities from the incident.
Ukraine received its first Mirage jets from France in February, with Ukrainian pilots trained in France to operate the aircraft. France did not disclose how many planes it delivered or how many it will supply in total, but French media reported plans to transfer six of the air force's 26 Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the delivery last year to help Ukraine defend its territory and airspace. The jets were upgraded with new equipment, including to counter electronic jamming, before delivery.
The loss of the jet highlights the ongoing challenges in Ukraine's air defence, which continues to struggle against Russian drone and missile attacks.
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