Zelensky announced the imminent training of Ukrainian pilots on Rafale

Ukrainian pilots will soon begin training in France on French Rafale fighters. This will be the next stage of the program to strengthen Ukraine's combat aviation.

This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky after a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to Zelensky, the parties discussed the escalation of Russian attacks and Ukraine's current defense needs. France is also preparing a new package of defense supplies, which Kyiv expects to receive in the near future. The composition of the future package was discussed by the presidents during the conversation.

A separate topic was the preparation of Ukrainian military personnel for the operation of Rafale. Zelensky said that pilot training on these aircraft will begin in France very soon.

“Ukrainian pilots will begin training on French Rafale aircraft in France very soon. This is an important step for Ukrainian combat aviation,” — said the president.

Ukraine and France agreed on the transition to Rafale earlier this year. According to the official joint declaration of the two countries dated July 14, Kyiv plans to purchase the first 16 fighters along with armament. In total, the possibility of acquiring up to 100 French aircraft was previously envisaged.

The first four Rafale are to be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the completion of the training cycle for Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel. The French side previously stated that training could begin as early as 2026.

Along with the aircraft, aviation armament is planned, including AASM guided bombs, MICA and Meteor air-to-air missiles, as well as guided missiles for countering drones. In July, Macron reported that the first Rafale are expected to be placed on combat duty in Ukraine in 2028–2029.

In parallel, Kyiv and Paris are working on expanding the production of French weapons directly in Ukraine. After the conversation with Macron, Zelensky said that the teams of the two countries continue to work on localizing the production of missiles and aerial bombs.

The official July declaration provides, in particular, for licensing the production of French AASM aerial bombs and SCALP cruise missiles in Ukraine.

According to Zelensky, the presidents also discussed the work on the FREYJA system and the possibility of accelerating relevant projects. The parties plan to discuss defense cooperation issues in more detail during their next personal meeting.

Source: Volodymyr Zelensky, Élysée Palace