French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit a military installation in eastern France on Wednesday to meet Ukrainian soldiers being trained by French forces.
The specific site of the military camp is kept secret due to security concerns. The ceremony will be the first time the French president has met with Ukrainian troops on French soil.
Macron will be accompanied by French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov. Lecornu first announced the training of Ukrainian military on French soil in October 2022.
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s state visit this summer to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, Macron announced that France will train and equip an entire brigade.
Over the next two months, the camp will train a total of 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers, including three battalions of infantry, engineers, artillery teams, and other specialties.
According to the Elysée Palace, the cohort consists of both younger recruits who have recently joined the army and more seasoned military members who have served in various units.
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Ukrainian soldiers will be “trained to meet the challenges they face daily” on the battlefield, with real-life events included in.
In addition, France is providing the brigade with 150 armored vehicles, including AMX light tanks, Caesar guns, and other armaments.
According to the Elysee Palace, France has already trained over 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Tuesday that Ukraine could face its hardest winter ever, and urged partners to increase their support.
