The first round of remote-controlled attack drones will be shipped to Ukraine in the coming weeks, said Sebastien Lecornu, France's Minister of the Armed Forces. Lecornu applauded the "kamikaze" drones, which were created domestically as the French government moved to increase military equipment manufacturing in recent years. Minister Lecornu said domestic production has allowed France to "regain sovereignty over this key segment for our armies in less than two years," as reported by Breitbart News.
The defense minister, who shared videos of the "successful" attack drones on social media, said he ordered 2,000 fighter drones in March from Delair, a French manufacturer, for both the French and Ukrainian militaries. The first 100 kamikaze drones will be sent to Ukraine, according to Kyiv state media Ukrinform.
In addition to attack drones, France supplied Ukraine with roughly 50 missiles and 3,000 artillery shells each month in 2023.
Minister Lecornu appeared to indirectly attack the German government, who sent some faulty equipment to Ukraine, in his statement announcing the drone shipment. "Some countries, for political reasons, have made a lot of announcements. France's pride is that everything that is promised is really delivered, and everything that is delivered works," he said.
The kamikaze drones should help Kyiv's combat defense by allowing them to strike Russia from deeper within its territory, as Western allies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, have denied President Zelenskyy's request to lift restrictions on the use of long-range missiles.
