An Ukrainian trainee (R) and a French military instructor (L) get ready ahead of a flight onboard an Alpha Jet fighter jet, at a French Army air base in south-western France on June 14, 2024. In the face of the slow but steady advance of the Russian army in Ukraine, Ukraine urgently needs 120 to 130 fighter jets to end Moscow's dominance in the air, but to operate these technological jewels, operational pilots are needed, which takes months or even years to train. To achieve this, France has committed to training 26 Ukrainian pilots over two years, which represents an effort for its Air Force, which is used to instructing about 30 French pilots per year, as well as proposing the transfer of several Mirage 2000-5s. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)