France will order 100 drones from the French company Delair that will arrive in Ukraine this summer, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu announced on Feb. 29.
"Through an innovative program, France is ordering 100 remotely operated munitions from Delair, which will arrive in Ukraine this summer," Lecornu stated on X. "In total, 2,000 remotely operated munitions will be ordered from our defense industry. For the needs of our armies and the needs of Ukraine."
Drones have been a key tool in Ukraine's defense against Russia's war. In his nightly address on Jan. 29, President (Volodymyr) Zelensky noted that one of Ukraine's top priorities for 2024 is the production of drones.
Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov previously said the intensity of drone use and minefields "made it impossible" for both Russia and Ukraine to conduct offensive operations.
Budanov also highlighted the importance of electronic warfare systems to counter enemy drones, which Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi had called “the key to victory in the drone war.”
Lecornu's announcement comes after French President Emmanuel Macron held a summit on Ukraine in Paris, convening 20 European heads of state and other Western officials. The meeting included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda as well as leaders from the Baltic states.
Kateryna Hodunova
