by The Kyiv Independent news desk
Sept 23, 2024
Key developments on Sept. 21-22:
- Ukraine awaits Mirage 2000 jets, in talks about Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, defense minister says
- Ukraine confirms overnight strikes on Russian arms depots
- Iran provided no launchers with missile deliveries to Russia, Reuters reports
- Russia preparing strikes against Ukrainian nuclear facilities ahead of winter, foreign minister says
- US may send Ukraine medium-range missiles for F-16s, Politico reports
- Zelensky on success of Kursk incursion: ‘Too early to judge’
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has an agreement to receive Dassault Mirage 2000 jets. He didn’t provide a timeline.
According to the minister, Ukraine is in talks to acquire Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters.
“Soon we’ll have results to announce,” Umerov said during an interview aired on national TV on Sept. 22.
“We worked last year on pilot training, on building all the necessary infrastructure, and this year we will focus on how to scale it up enough to have an advantage over the enemy in the air,” the minister said.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on June 6 that an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets would be transferred to Ukraine, but did not provide a timeline.
“Tomorrow we will launch a new cooperation and announce the transfer of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, made by French manufacturer Dassault, and train their Ukrainian pilots in France,” he said during a live interview.