France has branded comments made by Sergei Naryshkin, Russia’s chief foreign intelligence officer, as “misleading” and “reckless”. This follows Naryshkin’s assertion that France was planning to dispatch 2,000 military personnel to Ukraine, a claim vehemently refuted by the French defence ministry. According to news agency Reuters, Naryshkin was reported by Tass, the Russian state news outlet, as stating that if French forces were to set foot on Russian territory, they’d be seen as legitimate targets.
Tensions between France and Russia have been escalating, particularly as Paris expands its backing for Ukraine. This support includes the signing of a long-term bilateral security agreement and the pledge to send additional long-range cruise missiles. French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a sterner stance on Russia, asserting that Moscow needs to be brought to heel. He hasn’t discounted the possibility of European forces being deployed to Ukraine in the future, even though he was express in stating that France doesn’t plan to incite aggression against Russia.
Russia has repeatedly been accused by Paris of consistently disseminating fallacies. A recent report by Reuters revealed that in January, France rejected claims of French mercenaries present in Ukraine, coming in the wake of a resolution by Russian lawmakers condemning the alleged presence of said mercenaries.
In separate news, the Czech Republic is nearing the provision of thousands of surplus artillery rounds to Ukraine. Mere weeks ago, the country declared its ambition to garner the much-needed equipment, not from within the European Union. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský conveyed that they had amassed 300,000 shells up until now, set to allow for a much-needed period of respite at the battlefront. It is anticipated that initial consignments will arrive before June.
Referring to his country’s historical role as a vassal state of Moscow and the Russian invasion of his country in 1968, Lipavský emphasised the necessity of offering assistance to Ukraine. He pointedly highlighted the collective unwillingness to return to the days of Soviet influence, a sentiment strongly echoed by the population.
Ukraine has communicated that due to a shortage in ammunition, it’s struggling in the ongoing conflict against Russia. In addition, the European Union has revealed an inability to meet even more than half of the target set the previous year, which was to deliver a million shells by this March. Moreover, a proposed legislative Bill that would support Kyiv with US military aid is being delayed in Congress.
Russia is far outperforming Ukraine in terms of artillery, using a five-to-one ratio, and this dominance is leading to a gradual retreat of Kyiv’s forces on the battlefield. The town of Avdiivka, which lies on the frontline, was lost to Russian forces after a battle that spanned four months.
Both Russia and Ukraine reported that they successfully defended against numerous aerial attacks late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday. This escalation and the intensifying bombardment of border regions caused both nations to evacuate civilians.
Russian officials reported the destruction of missiles and drones launched by Ukraine, in the border regions of Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh. Drones were also neutralised further into Russia, in the Saratov region.
On the other hand, due to the severe Russian airstrikes in Ukraine’s northeastern border region of Sumy, Kyiv had been compelled to evacuate civilians. – Agencies