Ukraine's Zelenskyy signs deal to buy 100 fighter jets from France

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Smiling connected the tarmac of an airbase extracurricular Paris, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a woody with French President Emmanuel Macron connected Monday for his state to bargain arsenic galore arsenic 100 of France's astir precocious Rafale combatant jets implicit the adjacent decade.

The craft is the champion subject pitchy that France has for air-to-air combat, rocket interceptions and for longer-range strikes — capabilities that are important to support Ukraine's cities from Russia's relentless rocket and drone attacks going into the winter.

"It volition beryllium the top aerial defence — 1 of the top successful the world," Zelenskyy told reporters aft helium signed the missive of intent for the acquisition with Macron astatine the Villacoublay subject airbase. The Ukrainian president has pushed his Western partners for months to bolster the country's aerial defence capabilities amid relentless Russian rocket and drone strikes.

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Overnight, Russia's subject launched much than 100 much missiles and drones astatine Ukraine, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 radical successful the eastbound Kharkiv portion and hitting vigor facilities successful the confederate Odesa region, knocking retired energy to thousands of homes, according to Ukrainian officials.

There was nary contiguous absorption from the Kremlin to the French-Ukrainian subject agreement, which some Paris and Kyiv touted arsenic a landmark moment.

"Today marks a important moment, genuinely historical for some our nations — France and Ukraine," Zelenskyy said successful a social media post, adding that the associated defence agreement, "enables Ukraine to procure subject instrumentality from France's defence concern and technological base, including 100 Rafale F4 craft by 2035 for Ukraine's combat aviation, SAMP/T air-defense systems, air-defense radars, air-to-air missiles, and aerial bombs."

"Joint projects betwixt our defence sectors volition besides statesman this year," Zelenskyy said. "We volition co-produce interceptor drones and enactment connected processing critical technologies and components that tin beryllium integrated into Ukrainian drones. New aircraft, caller reinforcements, caller steps to fortify our service and our country. I americium profoundly grateful to France, President Emmanuel Macron, and each the French people."

Macron posted a photo of the 2 leaders smiling successful beforehand of a Rafale jet, with the flags of some nations arsenic a backdrop. The caption, successful some French and Ukrainian, said simply: "Great day."

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The presidents besides visited the office of a nascent multinational unit for post-war Ukraine, conscionable westbound of Paris astatine Mont Valérian. The program is for subject officers from the alleged "Coalition of the Willing" countries to beryllium based astatine the installation to oversee tactical and operational arrangements successful Ukraine erstwhile the warfare yet stops.

The U.K. and France person efficaciously co-led the informal coalition, which present counts 34 nations arsenic members.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to question to Spain connected Tuesday, wherever he's expected to clasp talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe VI to rally further enactment for Ukraine's defenses.