France confirmed it will send its first armored fighting vehicle to Ukraine, while the US President said Washington was considering sending the Bradley fighting vehicle.
Ukraine’s Western allies have for the first time turned to the supply of armored fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian army, not the heavy tanks that Kiev has asked for help. fighting Russian forces.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday that his government will send the French-made AMX-10 RC light armored combat vehicle to help Ukraine tries to defenda French official said after the phone call between the two leaders.
“This is the first time that Western-made armored vehicles have been provided to support the Ukrainian army,” the official said.
The official did not give any details on the volume or timing of the expected shipments but said negotiations would continue regarding possible deliveries of military vehicles. other from France.
Hours later, US President Joe Biden said Washington is considering send the Bradley fighting vehicle to Ukraine. Biden was asked during an exchange with reporters while traveling in Kentucky whether the supply of crawler armored combat vehicles to Ukraine was on the table. He replied “yes”, without further comment.
The Bradley is a medium armored combat vehicle that can act as a troop carrier. It has rails, not wheels, but this vehicle is lighter and more agile than a tank. It can carry about 10 people or is configured to carry additional ammunition or communication equipment.
The US has thousands of Bradleys and they will give Ukraine more firepower on the battlefield and increase its ability to fight in the trenches.
The Pentagon has provided Ukraine with more than 2,000 combat vehicles, including 477 anti-mine protection vehicles and more than 1,200 Humvees.
The latest funding for Kiev still lacks the American-made Abrams tank and the German-made Leopard tank, which Ukraine has repeatedly asked for from its Western allies, especially as the winter months of the war come in. The battle deepens and the earth becomes frozen, allowing for easier use. of heavy tanks in the Ukrainian countryside.
In a tweet and video speech later in the evening, Zelenskyy thanked Macron for the announcement of the armored vehicles and said it showed Ukraine’s other allies needed heavier weapons to fight. against the Moscow army.
Had a long and detailed conversation with the President of France @EmmanuelMacron about the current situation. Thank you for the decision to deliver Bastion light tanks and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, as well as for strengthening cooperation with partners in the same direction. 1/2
— олодимир (@ZelenskyyUa) January 4, 2023
“This is what sends a clear signal to all of our partners. There is no logical reason why Ukraine has not been supplied with Western tanks,” Zelenskyy said.
“We must end Russia’s aggression this year,” he said, adding that “modern Western armored vehicles and Western-style tanks” are the main assets that the Ukraine needs.
On Twitter, Zelenskyy said of Macron: “Thank you! Your leadership brings our victory closer.”
The French-made AMX-10 RC tank is light and has six wheels, not on rails. They are designed for reconnaissance missions and have been deployed during the most recent French overseas military operations in the Sahel region of West Africa and in Afghanistan.
One French official said they were “very mobile… perhaps old but highly efficient”.
An official from the intelligence department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Andriy Cherniak, said in comments to the RBC-Ukraine media agency on Wednesday that Kiev is not expected to give up the Russian offensive in this year despite the heavy loss of life.
“According to the estimates of Ukrainian military intelligence, in the next 4-5 months, the Russian army could lose up to 70,000 people. And the leadership of the occupying state (Russia) is ready for such losses,” Cherniak said.
Russian leaders “understand that they will lose but they have no plans to end the war,” he added.
In a signal to the West that Russia will not back down on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent a telegram destroyer to the Atlantic Ocean equipped with a new generation of supersonic cruise missiles, which can travel at five times the speed of sound.
