France to send 78 howitzers to aid Ukraine

A French-made CAESAR self-propelled howitzer being fired during military drills. File pic/AFP

France will soon be able to deliver 78 Caesar howitzers to Ukraine and will boost its supply of shells to meet Kyiv's urgent needs for ammunition to fight Russia's full-scale invasion, the defense minister said.

Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said at a news conference that an agreement was reached among France, Ukraine and Denmark to finance the Caesar self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, which will enable France to "quickly deliver" them.

France has also set a goal to deliver 80,000 shells for 155 mm guns to Ukraine this year - up from 30,000 delivered since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, 2022, he said.

In addition, Lecornu said, France is participating in an effort to identify available stocks of gunpowder and ammunition that could be bought from countries outside the European Union, a plan initiated by the Czech Republic to further support Kyiv.

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