A Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5F fighter jet destroyed a Russian small-sized S8000 "Banderol" cruise missile with fire from its on-board 30-mm cannon. The case is presented as the first known interception of this type of Russian missile by a Mirage.
The information was reported by the French project French Aid to Europe. “The Mirage 2000-5F was the first Western fighter jet to destroy a Russian S8000 "Banderol" cruise missile with its cannon“, the message quoted by “Militarny“ and other Ukrainian media. The exact location and date of the operation, as well as the name of the pilot, have not been announced.
The Ukrainian and French defense ministries have not publicly confirmed the specific interception. Therefore, information about the case remains related to the publication of French Aid to Europe, and official details about the combat mission are missing.
The Mirage 2000-5F's cannon
The Mirage 2000-5F has two built-in 30-mm DEFA 554 automatic cannons. Each of them has an ammunition of 125 shells, and the rate of fire reaches 1800 rounds per minute.
High-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing incendiary ammunition of caliber 30×113 mm is used. Their initial speed is about 815 meters per second. When firing a cannon, the aircraft must get significantly closer to the air target than when using an air-to-air missile.
What is the S8000 “Banderol“
The S8000 “Banderol“ was developed by the Russian company “Kronstadt“. The maximum speed of the missile is 620-650 km/h, and the cruising speed is 520-560 km/h.
The missile uses a Chinese Swiwin turbojet engine with a mass of 8.5 kg. With the stated characteristics, its flight range reaches 500 km. The warhead is of the OFBCH-150 type and weighs 114.3 kg, with 49.5 kg of the total mass being explosive.
France delivered Mirage 2000-5F fighters to Ukraine in 2025. Paris has also confirmed the provision of MICA air-to-air missiles and 30-mm ammunition for the aircraft. According to data cited by UNIAN, by the beginning of 2026, three aircraft had been delivered, with one lost. France is also discussing the possibility of acquiring additional Mirage for Ukraine from Greece.
Sources: UNIAN, RBC-Ukraine, Glavkom