Ukraine and France deepen defense cooperation, with a focus on logistics and adaptation to the challenges of modern warfare

Deputy Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Mykola Shevtsov held talks in Kyiv with a military delegation from France.

The French delegation was led by Lieutenant General Richard Ohnet, Director of the Integrated Structure for Land Equipment Maintenance (SIMMT).

During the meeting, the parties discussed areas of defense cooperation. The French side was particularly interested in the logistics of supporting troops under high-intensity combat conditions, as well as in the operational experience with French-supplied equipment and weaponry used by the Defence Forces of Ukraine. Additionally, the guests were eager to learn about the advantages of various types of weaponry in the context of modern warfare.

During the discussion, Lieutenant General Mykola Shevtsov expressed gratitude to the government and people of France for their unwavering support of Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for the material and logistical assistance provided. He noted that French military equipment has mainly been used to form new combat brigades and has performed well on the battlefield.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister emphasized that the nature of modern warfare requires a reshaping of combat approaches and a shifting of priorities in equipping troops with weapons and military equipment (WME). The shift away from deploying large mechanized formations toward conducting assault operations with small infantry teams necessitates adapting troop support systems. Alongside the use of modern missile systems and armored vehicles, there is a growing demand for various types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic warfare (EW) systems, and light transport vehicles (including pickups, quad bikes, and motorcycles), and other non-standard weapons and military equipment (WME) employed in military operations.

“Accordingly, modern warfare requires an integrated approach to weapon systems and their tactical deployment on the battlefield,” concluded Lieutenant General Shevtsov.