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A Ukrainian Air Force Mirage 2000-5F fighter jet has reportedly destroyed a Russian S8000 Banderol cruise missile using its onboard cannon, marking the first known interception of the missile by a Mirage 2000 with gunfire, according to Militarnyi and the French project French Aid to Europe.
French Aid to Europe, which monitors French military assistance to Ukraine, first reported the interception. The time and location of the engagement, as well as the pilot’s identity, have not been disclosed. The report has not been officially confirmed by the Ukrainian authorities.
The pilot had to approach the missile at close range because the aircraft used its cannon rather than an air-to-air missile. The S8000 Banderol can fly at more than 500 km/h, making such an interception a demanding maneuver.
The Mirage 2000-5F is equipped with two built-in 30 mm DEFA 554 automatic cannons, each with 125 rounds of ammunition. The guns can fire at a rate of up to 1,800 rounds per minute.
Using cannon fire can also preserve Ukraine’s limited stock of air-to-air missiles, which are considerably more expensive than cannon ammunition and are needed for other aerial targets.
France transferred Mirage 2000-5F aircraft to Ukraine from its Air and Space Force stocks in 2025.
The S8000 Banderol is a compact Russian cruise missile powered by a turbojet engine. Militarnyi reports that its maximum speed is around 620–650 km/h and its stated range can reach 500 kilometers. The missile carries an explosive warhead weighing more than 100 kilograms.
The reported interception comes as Ukraine faces growing pressure on its air-defense resources, including shortages of air-to-air missiles and the increasing use of faster Russian aerial weapons.
