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FRENCH Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said today his country will deliver “hundreds” of armoured vehicles to Ukraine by the beginning of 2025.
The new military aid comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on into its third year.
In an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune, Mr Lecornu said that “to hold such an extensive front line, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, our armoured personnel carriers. It’s absolutely key for troop mobility.”
The French military is currently replacing its old VAB armoured personnel carriers, which came into service in 1979, with a new generation of armoured vehicles.
Mr Lecornu said: “This old equipment, still operational, is going directly to Ukraine in large quantities. We’re talking about hundreds [of vehicles] in 2024 and early 2025.”
The minister also said France will provide Ukraine with more anti-aircraft missiles.
The announcement comes as the French government pushes its military industry to boost production to meet Kiev’s need for ammunition in what many experts claim is an increasingly losing battle against the Russians.
Mr Lecornu said France will soon be able to deliver 78 Caesar howitzers to Ukraine and will also increase its supply of shells.
