Ukraine to receive 100 French-made Rafale F4 fighter jets in ‘historic’ deal

Ukraine will receive up to 100 French Rafale F4 fighter jets and advanced air defense systems in a major deal to boost Kiev’s ability to protect itself from deadly Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the move “historic” after signing the declaration of intent with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at an air base near Paris.

Deliveries of the Rafale F4s are expected to be completed by 2035, while joint production of interceptor drones will start this year.

The financial details are yet to be worked out, but reports say France plans to attract EU funding and also gain access frozen Russian assets – a controversial move that has divided the 27-member bloc.

“This is a strategic agreement that will last ten years from next year,” Zelensky said during a joint briefing with Macron on Monday.

Ukraine would also receive “very strong French radars,” eight air defense systems and other advanced weaponry, he added.

Zelensky emphasized that using such advanced systems “means protecting someone’s life… this is very important.”

Russia has stepped up its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent months, targeting energy and rail infrastructure and causing massive power outages across the country.

Dozens of civilians were killed in the attacks, in what Kiev and its Western allies call war crimes. The latest overnight Russian missile attack killed three people and wounded 15 in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Balakliya, local officials said.

Macron, together with Zelensky, said: “We are planning Rafales, 100 Rafales – that is huge. That is what is needed for the regeneration of the Ukrainian army.”

The French president added that he wanted to help Ukraine prepare for what would happen next.

These Rafale fighter jets are seen as crucial to protecting Ukrainian airspace, as the country is virtually powerless to prevent long-range air strikes on its border towns.

“The Russians use 6,000 glide bombs a month,” Serhiy Kuzhan, a Ukrainian defense analyst, told the BBC. “It would be important to have a French air-to-air system, with a range of 200 km, because the Russians have their own system with a range of 230 km.”

While this announcement between Kiev and Paris is significant, Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) notes: “The difference they will make will depend on the time frame and the missiles involved.”

This is a long-term political agreement, rather than a detailed purchase order. Therefore, few expect this announcement to dramatically change the dynamics of the Russian invasion.

The promises of Western military hardware are only as effective as the training and logistics that accompany them. Whether it’s a German-made Leopard 2 Tank or an American F16 fighter jet, they all require intensive training, significant support crews and lots of spare parts.

With the Rafales, further complications arise around the question of who pays. It is thought France will use its own budget contributions to Kiev, and also look to joint EU loan mechanisms to help pay for the deal.

But what you hear privately admitting in the EU’s corridors of power in Brussels is that the money is slowly running out.

The bloc has agreed to help prop up Ukraine’s battered economy over the next two years, but there is less consensus on whether to release €140 billion in frozen Russian assets to help support Ukraine financially and militarily.

The proposals are currently illegal under international law, and some members are nervous about the prospect of having to pay Russia back when the war is over.

The Ukrainian air force also already uses the French Mirage fighter planes as American-made F-16s. Kiev also recently provisionally agreed to purchase Sweden’s Gripen fighter jets.

After France, Zelenskiy will travel to Spain to seek further military and other support for Ukraine.

Last weekend he concluded a gas deal with Greece. Crucial supplies of US liquefied natural gas are now expected to flow into Ukraine this winter via a pipeline across the Balkans.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory and Russian forces are making slow advances along the vast front line – despite reported massive combat casualties.