France will deliver hundreds of VAB armored vehicles to Ukraine.

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said France is to deliver “hundreds” of armored vehicles by the beginning of next year to Ukraine as part of a new package of military aid for the country that just entered its third year of war since the full-scale Russian invasion.
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(VAB of 54th Signal Regiment on Bastille day parade in 2013. Picture source : French MoD )

Sébastien Lecornu told La Tribune (a French daily newspaper) on Sunday, March 31, 2024, that President Emmanuel Macron had asked him to design a “new aid package” to help Kyiv defend against Russia's invasion.

This will “notably include old equipment from our armies, which is still functional,” he said. “To hold such a long frontline, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, our armored vehicles — this is key for troop mobility and is part of Ukraine’s requests.”
Asked how many vehicles France would provide, Lecornu said: “We're talking in the hundreds for 2024 and early 2025.”

The French military is currently replacing its old VAB armored personnel carriers, which came into service in 1979, with a new generation of armored vehicles called "griffon". “This old equipment, still operational, is going directly to Ukraine in large quantities. We’re talking about hundreds of vehicles in 2024 and early 2025,” Lecornu said.

The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB) is the most iconic APC of French military operations, serving as an armored personnel carrier designed for the transport and protection of infantry soldiers. the VAB has been used in every operation of the French army since 1970, as a non-exhaustive list: Lebanon civil war, Afghanistan ISAF, Desert storm, ...

Developed by Renault Trucks Defense, the VAB was introduced in the 1970s to meet the French Army's need for wheeled armored vehicles capable of operating in a variety of combat scenarios, from conventional battlefields to peacekeeping missions.

The VAB's design emphasizes mobility, protection, and modularity, allowing it to be equipped with a range of weaponry and adapted for various roles including troop transport, command vehicle, ambulance, and logistic support. Its all-wheel drive and amphibious capabilities ensure operational effectiveness in diverse terrains, from deserts to waterlogged environments. Over the decades, the VAB has been continually upgraded to enhance its armor protection, firepower, and technological systems, affirming its role as a vital asset in France's military endeavors and international peacekeeping efforts. today's still used the vab ULTIMA il armed with a remotely operated turret, and a new IED armor kit.

The arms deliveries come amid accusations — by Germany in particular — that Paris is not pulling its weight on military aid to Ukraine. German officials have publicly voiced frustration with the size of France's assistance to Kyiv. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly called for an audit of national contributions amid discussions on calibrating an EU fund for reimbursing countries for their military donations to Kyiv.

Russia continued hitting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Sunday. A Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s western Lviv region on Sunday killed one man, while another man died in an attack in the northeast, the Associated Press reported. The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down nine of the 11 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, as well as nine out of 14 cruise missiles.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands in Ukraine’s Odesa region were left without power Sunday after debris from a downed Russian drone caused a blaze at an energy facility, the AP reported Gov. Oleh Kiper as saying.

Sunday's attacks came just days after Moscow unleashed 99 missiles and drones in a massive attack against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Three power plants were seriously damaged in that onslaught, Ukrainian energy company DTEK said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for military service, a post on the Kremlin's website indicated. All men in Russia are required to serve one year of compulsory military service.

Defense News April 2024