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France to expand Ukrainian military training with air and naval programs

In total, France has trained nearly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the onset of the Russian full-scale invasion, with 8,800 trained in 2023 alone.

byIryna Voichuk

07/03/2024

1 minute read

Training of Ukrainian marines in the UK, 2023. Credit: British Ministry of Defense

France to expand Ukrainian military training with air and naval programs

France plans to expand military support to Ukraine with specialized training initiatives that will include air and naval programs, according to the French Ministry of Defense.

In total, France has trained nearly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the onset of the Russian full-scale invasion, with 8,800 trained in 2023 alone. Currently, the training is focused on three sectors: training related to tactics, implementation, and maintenance of the various French-donated weapons; demining, armored reconnaissance, and other high-value skills training; urban and trench warfare training

“We have opened the door to train [Ukrainian] fighter pilots with several other European countries,” the Ministry cited French President Emmanuel Macron.

In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a long-term bilateral agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and France. Additionally, France will allocate €3 billion in military aid for Ukraine in 2024.

Macron also announced the decision to join the Czech-led initiative aimed at ordering 800,000 155m artillery shells for Ukraine but did not disclose the future contribution amount.

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