France pledged on Sunday air defence systems to defend Ukrainian cities against drone strikes and an expanded training program for soldiers from war-torn Ukraine, in an effort to dispel the notion that the administration of French President Emmanuel Macron has been slow to provide military assistance to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion.
According to Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be integrated into French military formations, cycling through several weeks of combat training, more specialized training in logistics and other requirements, and instruction on equipment provided by France.
Along with this, the minister was also reported in the newspaper as stating, “We are observing the fact that the battle, regrettably, will continue. “To go the distance, a new generation of warriors must also be trained.”
Previously, France had trained Ukrainian artillerymen to utilize its provided Caesar self-propelled howitzers.
The minister called the enhanced training that France is currently providing “a really significant step.” The scale is being altered.
The Crotale air defence missile batteries that France is getting ready to provide to Ukraine “will be particularly effective in the battle against drones and against aerial bombardments,” the minister said.
According to the ministry, 12 of the batteries are in France. Although he didn’t say how many of them would deploy to Ukraine, he did say that it would be essential to provide them with the ability to protect their skies.
The goal is for Ukraine to be able to deploy them in two months, which the minister said includes the time needed for Ukrainians to receive training on how to operate them.
Furthermore, 18 Caesar artillery pieces were provided by France, and negotiations were underway to provide six more. Lecornu claimed that France is also considering a request from Ukraine for rocket-launched ground-attack weapons.
