Fourteen AMX-10RC wheeled tank destroyers are en route to Ukraine from France, the Forces Operations blog reported on Feb. 16. The delivery is only the first batch of the unique armored vehicles, with more expected to be sent to Ukraine in the near future.
The publication notes that Ukrainian defenders have been training in the combat use of the wheeled tank destroyers at the Maine-et-Loire military base in France.
Often labelled a "light tank", France's pledge of the AMX-10RC was a precursor to the deliveries of main battle tanks from several European countries and the United States.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that France would firmly stand by Ukraine when he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Feb. 8.
“Russia cannot and must not win this war. As long as Russia continues to attack, we will continue to adapt and moderate the necessary military support to preserve Ukraine and its future,” Macron said.