France to Provide Ukraine with Old Armored Vehicles

France intends to send hundreds of old armored vehicles and new surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine for use in its war against Russia.

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that President Emmanuel Macron had instructed him to prepare a new aid package, which would include outdated French equipment that is still operational.

The request came after discussions between Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In an interview with "Le Journal du Dimanche," Lecornu stated, "The Ukrainian army needs to defend a very long front line, which requires armored vehicles. This is crucial for troop mobility and is part of the Ukrainian requests."

He added that France is looking to supply Ukraine with hundreds of armored vehicles for troop transport on the front line by 2024 and early 2025.

The French army is gradually replacing thousands of armored vehicles, first deployed in the late 1970s, with new multi-purpose troop carriers.

Reuters quoted Lecornu as saying that France is also preparing to deploy a new batch of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles for Kyiv.

The Aster 30 missiles can intercept warplanes, drones, and cruise missiles within a range of up to 120 kilometers.

"Lecornu stated, "Ukraine urgently needs better air defense. Russia is intensifying its attacks, especially targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure."