Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a letter of intent with France to acquire 100 Rafale fighter jets as he seeks to bolster the nation’s long-term air defence capability towards Russia.
He mentioned the letter would additionally open the door for Ukraine to purchase SAMP-T air defence programs, radars, air-to-air missiles and aerial bombs.
“It will be the greatest air defence, one of the greatest in the world,” Zelenskyy mentioned after signing the letter with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at Villacoublay air base, close to Paris.
However Zelenskyy’s go to comes amid a rise in Russian drone and missile assaults on Ukraine, with Moscow’s defence ministry saying forces have captured 5 villages within the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia areas.
At the very least six folks have been killed in a single day.
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France would not give particulars on whether or not the Dassault-made jets could be transfers from current French shares or purchases of latest jets, however two officers advised Reuters they might be a part of a 10-year aviation deal between the 2 nations.
They mentioned the majority of the jets could be longer-term, and a part of Ukraine’s efforts to extend its fleet to 250 warplanes, which additionally contains jets from the US and Sweden.
Talks between the 2 nations have been ongoing for a number of weeks to see how France may present extra help for Ukraine’s air defences, after President Macron pledged to supply extra Mirage fighter jets and a brand new batch of surface-to-air missiles.
The officers mentioned offers for additional air defence programs would additionally both come from current inventory or by way of long-term next-generation orders, together with surface-to-air missiles and anti-drone programs.
Forward of Zelenskyy’s go to, Macron’s workplace mentioned the goal of the letter was to “put French excellence in the arms industry at the service of Ukraine’s defence” and “enable it to acquire the systems it needs to respond to Russian aggression”.
