Operating out of forward bases and armed only with Magic 2 missiles, the Mirage is claimed to have a 98% effectiveness against drones and cruise missiles in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force released a video of a rarely seen French-supplied Mirage 2000, with a pilot and technicians speaking about the jet’s effectiveness on the battlefield. The jet is shown at a forward operating airfield, as the service continuously moves its assets to avoid them being targeted on the ground.
A technician further mentioned this was the third relocation in a week. Notably, he claims they recently came under fire by Shahed drones and missiles, although they were able to evacuate the location without losses.
Ukrainian Pilot on the Effectiveness of the Mirage2000
Ukraine🤝France@FranceenUkraine pic.twitter.com/wGuGmYG4CP
— Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) November 26, 2025
The Mirage’s Effectiveness
The Mirage 2000 pilot previously flew the Su-27 Flanker, before being sent to France to train on the new type. The training lasted six months, with the pilots first learning to fly and employ weapons on the twin-seater Mirage 2000B and then moving to the single-seater Mirage 2000-5.
In the beginning of the video, he says his “impressions of this aircraft are extremely positive.” He further adds “the effectiveness of intercepting enemy drones and missiles on this aircraft is 98%. These are impressive numbers.”
We currently have no data to verify these claims. However, a Mirage 2000 was recently shown with six cruise missile kill markings, which we determined to most likely be Kh-101s.
This appears to be the same aircraft featured in this video, with the pilot confirming the markings represent Kh-101s. He also claims that there are also six more kills that have not yet been added, as they “don’t always have stencils […] at forward airfields.”
The Mirage’s Weapons
The pilot then reiterates the need to continue to modernize the Ukrainian Air Force with new aircraft and weapons. Notably, he highlighted a serious limitation of the Mirage compared to the F-16s also in service in Ukraine.
“In my opinion – and in the opinion of my fellow pilots – this aircraft lacks longer range air-to-air weapons,” says the pilot. “Something in the middle ground between efficiency and cost, so that we can engage the massive number of enemy aerial threats we face.”
In fact, as shown in the video, it appears that France supplied only Magic 2 IR-guided short-range air-to-air missiles. Ukrainian Mirages thus fly with a loadout made of two Magic 2 missiles, two external fuel tanks and the two internal 30 mm cannons.
The technician highlighted the presence of the external fuel tanks painted in blue and yellow – the colors of the Ukrainian flag – for identification. “Many people think it’s some sort of large bomb, but no – it’s just a standard fuel tank,” he says.
Regarding the Magic 2, the technician defined it as the “main part” of the Mirage’s weaponry. “It has performed exceptionally well. Its kill probability is practically at 100%,” he says.
The Mirage 2000-5 has also the capability to employ the newer MICA IR IR-guided short to medium-range missile and the MICA RF radar-guided short to medium-range missile. In French service, the MICA IR replaced the Magic 2 and the MICA RF replaced the Super 530.
Future Platforms
In the final part of the video, the pilot expressed his opinion about the future platforms which could one day serve in Ukraine.
“If I had the opportunity to transition to another aircraft superior to the Mirage, I would probably choose the Rafale,” says the pilot. “It’s from the same country, and retraining for Rafale would be much faster than transitioning to aircraft from other nations.”
Notably, Ukraine and France recently signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for a potential acquisition of up to 100 Rafales for the Ukrainian Air Force. Initial deliveries are not expected to arrive until at least 2029, with the full fleet in service by 2035.
The pilot then noted the “Rafale can also carry the Meteor – a weapon with a very long reach.” In the LoI relevant weapons for use on the Rafale have been included, but the details have not been disclosed.
“If I were offered something like the F-35, Rafale, or Gripen, I would gladly – without hesitation – transition to that platform,” concludes the pilot. While a Ukrainian acquisition of the F-35 is highly unlikely, the Gripen is another platform that has been eyed.
In fact, Ukraine has also recently signed a defense cooperation agreement with Sweden, which includes a potential buy of over 100 Gripens. Swedish PM Kristersson estimated a timeframe of three years for the delivery of new-build airframes.
Zelenskyy, given the urgent situation in his country, would like to see aircraft delivered from 2026 – which could signal the possibility of the transfer of legacy Gripen C/D airframes ahead of new Gripen E/F jets. Ukrainian pilots have already test flown Gripen airframes in Sweden, beginning as far back as 2023.
