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Detachment of the 4th Regiment of the French Army at a base in Romania (2022)

Photo: Messyasz Nicolas / ABACAPRESS / IMAGO

France wants to deliver more wheeled tanks and anti-missiles to Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu told the newspaper La Tribune (Sunday edition) that he was working on an appropriate aid package using old but still functional equipment from the French army. The all-wheel drive VAB tanks are crucial for the mobility of the troops. After talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, President Emmanuel Macron asked him for a further aid package for Ukraine. They could help hold the long front line.

In addition, further Aster-type missiles are to be delivered for the SAMP/T air defense system. Lecornu did not say exactly how many wheeled tanks and defense missiles were involved; when asked about the armored military vehicles, he spoke of "hundreds." The armored vehicles, first used by France in the 1970s, were scheduled to be handed over to Ukraine in 2024 and early 2025.

According to the latest information, France has supplied Ukraine with military material worth around 2.6 billion euros since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression.

Recently, attacks on energy infrastructure have increased

After more than two years of aggressive war, Russia's army is now increasingly targeting the Ukrainian energy infrastructure in order to paralyze the population's supply of electricity and heat. This is why Kiev also speaks of “energy terror”. On Sunday night there was another air alert in all parts of the country.

In his evening video address on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of "heinous attacks" by the Russian army and once again urgently asked for more international help in protecting his country's energy infrastructure. "We have sent the necessary signals and concrete requests to all our partners who have the necessary air defense systems and missiles," he said. "America, Europe and other partners know exactly what we need."

aka/dpa/Reuters