The Ukrainian Air Force’s Mirage-2000 crash occurred during an evening flight over Ukraine on 22 July, when a fighter jet suffered a sudden technical failure, forcing the pilot to eject. The incident marks the first confirmed loss of this aircraft type in Ukrainian service. The pilot survived, and no civilians were harmed on the ground, according to official statements.

Mirage fails in flight, pilot guides it away from civilians

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the single-engine Mirage-2000-5 fighter jet experienced an in-flight malfunction during a scheduled mission. Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force Command, told Ukrainska Pravda that the pilot immediately alerted flight command, followed emergency protocols, and managed to steer the aircraft away from populated areas before ejecting. A rescue team quickly located the pilot, whose condition is reported as stable.

The crash occurred in open terrain. No casualties or damage were recorded on the ground. The Air Force noted that the pilot used all remaining onboard systems in an attempt to retain control before initiating the ejection sequence. Military officials stressed that such incidents, while rare, are not unprecedented in modern air forces.

A special commission has been appointed to investigate the Mirage-2000 crash and identify what triggered the failure.

Ukraine’s Mirage-2000 program under strain

As Militarnyi reports, this is the first Mirage-2000 Ukraine has lost since introducing the aircraft into combat roles. The jet had been fully modernized before its transfer from France. This includes upgrades for engaging ground targets.

The Mirage-2000 entered Ukrainian service earlier in 2025. In March, the Air Force reported that one of these fighters successfully intercepted a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile during a combined missile-and-drone attack. According to French Aid to Ukraine, the training program for Ukrainian Mirage pilots and technicians lasted six months and concluded at the end of December 2024.

Under French military assistance, Ukraine is expected to receive between 12 and 20 Mirage-2000 aircraft. Militarnyi notes that the final number may increase with possible additional deliveries from the French Air and Space Force or even Greece. The jets in Ukraine’s current fleet are capable of deploying high-precision weapons such as SCALP EG / Storm Shadow cruise missiles and AASM smart bombs.

Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 224 targets during the Russian assault overnight into 21 July.

According to the Ukriane’s air defense forces, an additional 203 drones failed to reach their intended targets. The miitary confirmed 23 strike drones hit targets at 3 locations, with debris from destroyed drones falling at 12 locations.

The overnight assault represented another large-scale combined air attack by Russia on Ukraine, with occupying forces deploying strike drones and missiles of various types. Explosions were heard across multiple oblasts throughout the night. Among other oblasts, Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk faced the heaviest attack.

Four people, including one child, were injured in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast during Russia’s overnight rocket and drone attack on 21 July, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS). Residential buildings were damaged.

The attack on Ivano-Frankivsk was particularly severe. Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv described the strikes as “the most large-scale” since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, stating there were “very many” hits on the city.

Beyond the residential casualties, fires erupted across multiple locations in the oblast. In the Gorodenkivka territorial community of Kolomyia district, a fire broke out in an agricultural building, which has been extinguished with no casualties reported. In Ivano-Frankivsk city center, emergency services extinguished fires at garages and vehicles in an open parking area covering 220 square meters, as well as industrial and warehouse facilities spanning 300 square meters.

Kyiv bore significant damage from the attack. One person died and six others were injured in the capital, including a 15-year-old girl, reports the National Police of Ukraine.

In Solomianskyi district, a man died. In Darnytskyi district, five people aged 36 to 55 years received shrapnel injuries. Among them is a 15-year-old girl. In Shevchenkivskyi district, an elderly woman was hospitalized.

The capital sustained widespread damage to residential buildings, a kindergarten, a supermarket, small architectural forms, garages, transport, warehouse facilities, and the ground section of a metro station. Destruction and debris were recorded in Holosiivskyi, Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, Obolonskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi districts.

The blast wave also affected a police crew responding to an emergency call.

Metro station “Lukianivska” in Kyiv temporarily suspended passenger service due to damage to its ground section caused by the Russian shelling. Traffic was blocked on several streets in Darnytskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts following the attack.