France to train 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and send defence systems

France is set to train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers to help in the fight against Russian invaders, the French Army Minister has confirmed.

Sébastien Lecornu announced the news in an interview with Le Parisien this weekend (October 15). He said: “These soldiers] will be assigned to our units for several weeks.”

The training will be across three specialities, he said, including:

• General combat training

• Specific needs requested by the Ukrainians, such as logistics

• Training on the equipment provided

Mr Lecornu stressed that France was not entering the war, and that helping the soldiers would not take it to ‘co-belligerent’ status.

He said: "We are doing this in compliance with the rules of law, without ever being co-belligerent because we are not at war. We are helping a country that is at war.”

France is also set to deliver Crotale anti-aircraft defence systems to Ukraine, Lecornu said, referring to an announcement made on Wednesday by President Emmanuel Macron.

He added that sending these to Ukraine would not affect supply for the French army.

He said: "We have twelve of them, but they will be gradually phased out and replaced by MAMBAs [or SAMP/T, anti-aircraft defence systems equipped with Aster missiles, with a range of up to 50 or even 100 kilometres], so this will not create a shortage for the French army.

“The aim is to complete this operation within the next two months.”

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