FILE - French soldiers fire a French-made CAESAR self-propelled howitzer during the Spring Storm 2023 military drills, the largest annual exercise of Estonian Defence Forces, near Tapa, Estonia on May 25, 2023. France will soon be able to deliver 78 Caesar howitzers to Ukraine and will boost its supply of shells to meet Kyiv's urgent needs for ammunition to fight Russia's two-year invasion, the defense minister said Tuesday.
In an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune's Sunday edition, Lecornu said that “to hold such an extensive front line, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, our armored personnel carriers. It’s absolutely key for troop mobility.” The French military is currently replacing its old VAB armored personnel carriers, that came into service in 1979, with a new generation of armored vehicles. “This old equipment, still operational, is going directly to Ukraine in large quantities. We’re talking about hundreds in 2024 and early 2025,” Lecornu said.The move comes as the French government is pushing its military industry to boost production to meet Kyiv’s urgent need for ammunition.
On Tuesday, Lecornu said France will soon be able to deliver 78 Caesar howitzers to Ukraine and will increase its supply of shells.