Two French Mirage 2000B fighters opened the Bastille Day flypast over Paris on 14 July, each with a Ukrainian co-pilot in the cockpit, Militarnyi reported. It was the first time Ukrainian pilots had taken part in France's national parade. French pilots flew the aircraft; the Ukrainians served as second pilots.

The Mirage 2000-5F that France sends to Ukraine is a single-seat aircraft, so there is no room for a passenger. The two-seat 2000B was flown instead—the trainer version. Ukrainian pilots and aircraft technicians are still training on the type at Luxeuil air base in eastern France, ahead of further Mirage deliveries.

What France put in the air

The flypast began at 10:21 a.m. in Paris, ahead of the ground columns. Ninety-five aircraft crossed the sky over Paris—84 French and 11 from other European countries, along with 32 helicopters.

For the first time at a Bastille Day parade, French fighters flew with weapons mock-ups fixed under their wings, among them the Scalp cruise missile France supplies to Ukraine for strikes on Russian targets, France 24 reported. The Élysée called it an unprecedented demonstration of how France's land and air forces now work together.

It was the largest parade France has staged: 6,686 troops on foot and 315 vehicles, with 98 aircraft and 31 helicopters listed in the official program the day before—a handful fewer flew on the day. Around 500 soldiers from 35 Coalition of the Willing countries opened the march. Twenty-five Ukrainian soldiers followed them.

What leaders said

The parade was French President Emmanuel Macron's tenth and last as commander-in-chief, as he leaves office in 2027. The Élysée gave it a theme: the strategic awakening of Europe.

"The message we send to the world is this: Yes, peace is our goal. Yes, we cherish freedom and the rule of law. And yes, we stand ready to fight to defend them. Always, and at the cost of blood if necessary," Macron said in his address to the armed forces on the eve of the parade.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed that message and told the French news channel BFMTV that this parade, this idea of inviting Ukraine, of bringing together the coalition of the willing, of staging this demonstration—all of it is a very good signal. 

Then he added that people only realize the war is close, he said, when it comes within 50 km of their border. He thanked the French for understanding—and noted that the problem is not France's alone: if the war is not in your country, not on your land, not in your house, you cannot feel it.

What Bastille Day is

France's national holiday marks 14 July 1789, when Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison— the event that started the French Revolution and brought down the monarchy. The military parade on the Champs-Élysées is its centerpiece, and the guest list is always a statement.

The symbolism extended beyond the parade itself. It came a day after Macron hosted the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris, where European governments discussed a new air-defense initiative built around a Ukrainian interceptor.

Ukrainian pilots will co-pilot French Mirage 2000B fighter jets in the Bastille Day parade flyover. 25 Ukrainian troops will also march at France's 14 July national holiday parade on the Champs-Élysées alongside French forces and representatives of 34 other Coalition of the Willing countries, in Ukraine's first participation in France's Bastille Day parade, Ukrinform reports. 

The parade opens with Patrouille de France accompanied by two French Mirage 2000B two-seaters. French pilots will fly the aircraft, but Ukrainian pilots trained in France will serve as co-pilots.

The Mirage 2000B jets used in the flyover are the same aircraft Ukrainian pilots trained on. Ukraine's Air Force reported near-perfect 98 percent effectiveness of its Mirage 2000s against Russian drones and missiles in November 2025, per Euromaidan Press. The Mirage's Magic 2 missile achieved nearly 100 percent success against aerial targets.

The Bastille Day appearance sits within a growing Franco-Ukrainian air cooperation. France delivered the first Mirage 2000-5F to Ukraine in February 2025 and, by early 2026, was considering transferring all 26 of its Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine.

Ukrainian pilots trained at the Nancy and Cazaux air bases in France for approximately six months on two-seater Mirage 2000B trainers before transitioning to the single-seat combat Mirage 2000-5F.

Ukraine gets maximum foreign quota with 25 servicemembers

Ukrainian Senior Lieutenant Yaroslav says the participation is a great honor and responsibility, and an opportunity to represent the Ukrainian people and Armed Forces marching alongside the troops of other states. He said Ukrainian troops are marching for those on the front line and in memory of those killed in combat.

"Because thanks to their courage, Ukraine continues to fight, so we march for everyone who is now on the front line. And in memory of those who fell in battle. And we remember every hero," Yaroslav says.

Preparation for the parade lasted several weeks. Every day, participants worked on a drill step to demonstrate military discipline. The final rehearsal on 11 July specifically tested whether the orchestra's march would remain audible during the fighter jet flyover above Paris.

Ukrainian troops will close the international section of the parade opening. Coalition of the Willing forces will march in a pedestrian formation, with 503 service members in total in the international contingent.

Coalition of the Willing gathers 35 countries at the parade

The Coalition of the Willing is a European planning body established to develop security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a potential ceasefire. Ukraine, plus 34 other coalition countries, will be represented at the Bastille Day parade.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be on the presidential tribune alongside other heads of state and government. Almost 6,700 military personnel will march down the Champs-Élysées on 14 July. According to French officials, this is the largest number of participants in the parade's history.