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.
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