The French newspaper Le Monde reported that in addition to protective equipment, Paris also provided Kiev with "dozens" of such weapons for infantry units to use against tanks and armored vehicles. The French Foreign Ministry and Military Staff declined to comment.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, France, while unreservedly condemning Russian aggression, has been very cautious in providing weapons to Ukrainians.
The French president and government, as well as foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Dreyon, said in speeches including March 6 that France was limited to "defensive equipment and fuel support."
During 25 and 28 February, Paris did offer protective equipment, helmets and bulletproof vests like other European countries.
But according to information obtained by Le Monde, France later supplied Ukraine with Milan anti-tank missiles.
Between Feb. 28 and March 3, the number of missiles extracted from the French army's stockpile for this purpose does not seem to be much at the moment — about "dozens," according to a diplomatic source. The equipment was handed over to the Ukrainian army on the Polish border.
Le Monde said that on the French side, the first equipment transfer operations were overseen by members of the special forces attached to the Special Operations Command, who were placed under the orders of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and authorized by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
France is not the only country to supply Ukrainian soldiers with Milan missiles.
On 28 February, Italy officially stated that it had decided to provide them with the same equipment and other armaments.
All European NATO countries are equipped with this Franco-German-made anti-tank weapon, which is actually extracted from stockpiles purchased by France.
In addition to Italy and Germany, other customers include Spain and the United Kingdom.
The Milan anti-tank missile is a very precise and powerful weapon suitable for use against tanks, armored vehicles and buildings.
It is a lightweight surface-to-surface missile loved by infantry units, equipped with an infrared system that allows it to be launched during the day or at night.
According to reports, the Milan 2 may have been a version given to the Ukrainians by the Italians, whose range could reach targets up to 2500 meters away thanks to a semi-automatic guidance system.
The amount of equipment delivered seems negligible compared to the needs of Ukrainian troops. The decision to provide such equipment in pieces is a decision imposed on the military by the authorities.
The same diplomatic source revealed that the idea "is not intended to hinder the ability of the head of state to maintain channels of communication with the Russian president." "
On the ground, however, the Russian army has been facing these highly efficient weapons for ten consecutive days, so they also have plenty of time to determine their source.
Le Monde contacted the French Foreign Ministry on March 8, which declined to comment on "the nature and details of the weapons delivered to the Ukrainian authorities." Separately, the French Military Staff declined to comment.