France to supply Ukraine with 12 additional Caesar howitzers

France is set to send Ukraine 12 more self-propelled howitzers Caesar, the French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu says.

The money on Caesar will be allocated within a €200 million fund. Furthermore, 150 French soldiers will be sent to Poland to train 600 Ukrainian servicemen a month. There are plans to have 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen trained by summer.

France previously sent Ukraine 18 Caesar howitzers.

Yesterday, 30 January, it was announced that France and Australia had reached an agreement on delivering 155mm shells to Ukraine.

The 155mm shells are used in artillery systems provided to Ukraine by Western partners. Among other systems, the shells are used in French Caesars, American M777, and German Panzerhaubitze 2000.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron previously stated that supply of arms to Ukraine should not lead to escalation of the war and the supplied arms should not be used to attack Russia’s territory.