According to a British military handbook, Russian intelligence has shown particular interest in Operation Interflex, the U.K.-led program providing training to some 34,000 Ukrainian recruits.
A delegation of North Korean military trainers led by the head of a prestigious military academy in Pyongyang has begun a trip to Russia, North Korean state media reported on July 9.
President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered his first in-person address to German lawmakers in the Bundestag on June 11, expressing Ukraine's gratitude for Germany's support in resisting Russia's invasion.
Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova voiced support for the France-led initiative, but said that unlike Czechia, such a move is practical for France and some other countries due to their distance from Ukraine.
Key developments on June 7: * Biden announces $225 million aid package for Ukraine * Macron: France to finalize coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine * Producer of Caesar howitzers to set up branch in Ukraine * Netherlands to invest $436 million to make armored vehicles for Ukraine * Russia hit 2 oil depots
"We already know that we will not be alone, and we will use the next few days to organize a broader coalition to respond to Ukraine's request,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Christophe Lemoine, deputy spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry, said Paris is considering how to respond to Russian embassy spokesperson Alexander Makogonov's remarks. "These are outrageous statements that will not go unanswered," he said.
The presence of French military instructors in Ukraine would be deemed a "legitimate target" of attack by Russia's Armed Forces, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on June 4.
"I believe that is okay to send a very clear signal that we will go to 100,000" in response to increased Russian pressure and the renewed Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
The statement came after Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said that he had already signed documents "that will allow the first French instructors to visit training centers soon."
France is planning to send instructors to Ukraine to train the military, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 27 after a video meeting with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
Russia's military reported on May 17 that a blast at the Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps in St. Petersburg, which injured seven servicemen, was caused by the accidental detonation of World War II-era ammunition.
The comments came after the head of Estonia's Armed Forces, General Martin Herem, said earlier in May that there had been talks about the possibility of sending Estonian soldiers to western Ukraine.
The United States is contemplating the deployment of additional military advisers to the embassy in Kyiv as Russia appears to be gaining momentum on the front lines. These advisers would not serve in combat capacities.
(Updated: )
