Ukraine bolsters its air force with new fighter jets as Russia claims to have repelled a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kursk region.
Ukraine received a boost to its air force with the arrival of US-built F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and its first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighters. The Ukrainian defense minister, Rustem Umerov, announced the arrival of these modern combat aircraft on Thursday, stating that they will soon begin carrying out combat missions, strengthening Ukraine's defense and enhancing its ability to effectively counter Russian aggression.
The delivery of the Mirage 2000-5 jets, pledged by France last year, marks a significant development in Ukraine's military capabilities. Ukrainian pilots and ground crew have been trained in eastern France, with six of France's 26 Mirage 2000-5 planes expected to be transferred under the deal. The arrival of these aircraft coincides with Russia's claims of thwarting a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kursk region, a border region where Ukrainian forces are estimated to hold approximately 500 square kilometers of land. The Russian defense ministry reported that Ukrainian armed formations attempted a counteroffensive towards the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok in the Kursk region on February 6th. They stated that the 'North' group of Russian forces promptly identified the enemy and inflicted damage on Ukrainian assault groups with air support. By 2 PM on February 6th, Russia claimed that the attacks had been repelled and the settlements were under their control. Kyiv has not commented on these claims or announced any new offensive in the Kursk region.Ukraine maintains that its presence in Kursk is a significant strategic blow to Russia, as it prevents Russia from launching new attacks on its Kharkiv and Sumy regions and ties up units that could have been used to strengthen its invasion force in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine. Kyiv also highlights the humiliation of Russia's reliance on North Korean troops to bolster its defenses in the region, troops that it claims have suffered heavy casualties and been withdrawn from the frontline. Unnamed Ukrainian sources, however, expressed concerns about the increasing accuracy of North Korean ballistic missiles fired by Russia, raising anxieties about the potential benefits Pyongyang might derive from its military partnership with Moscow
UKRAINE RUSSIA F-16 MIRAGE 2000 DEFENSE AIR FORCE KURSK
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