France secretly practiced sending troops to Ukraine – media
17 January 10:18
France conducted secret military exercises codenamed Perseus in the fall of 2024. The purpose of the exercise was to practice a scenario of the deployment of French special forces to Ukraine to counter a possible Russian invasion from Belarus. This was reported by the French edition of Intelligence online, reports Komersant ukrainskyi citing nv.ua.
All units of the Special Operations Forces of the French Army (Commandement des Actions Spéciales Terre) took part in the exercise. The total number of military personnel involved was 3,200. For maximum realism, the terrain was chosen to resemble the Dnipro River valley in the north of Kyiv region.
During the week-long exercise, special attention was paid to
- the use of unmanned aerial vehicles;
- installation of electronic jammers;
- conducting electronic reconnaissance;
- practicing the interaction of units in intense combat operations.
In developing the tactical scenarios, the French military relied on the experience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which successfully deterred the Russian invasion in February 2022.
These exercises are part of a broader training program for the French armed forces. In particular, as Politico reported in March 2024, the French army is preparing for a possible high-intensity conflict with an enemy with comparable firepower. Although it was not explicitly mentioned against whom these preparations were aimed, the publication’s sources hinted at preparations for a possible confrontation with Russia.
In addition, large-scale exercises “Dacian Spring-2025” are scheduled for May 2025, during which the French military will practice the rapid deployment of forces to NATO’s eastern flank in the event of a potential conflict.
According to Radio Liberty, France and the United Kingdom are also discussing the possible deployment of their troops in Ukraine during negotiations with Russia.
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Ukraine’s security agreement with France
on February 16, 2024, Ukraine and France signed an Agreement on Security Cooperation. The document was signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron during the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Paris. France became the third country after the UK and Germany to sign a security agreement with Ukraine.
The agreement entered into force upon signing and will be in force for 10 years with the possibility of extension until 2034. The document formalizes France’s support to Ukraine in the security sector, including intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, medical and military training, and defense-industrial cooperation.
The main components of the agreement are clear support for Ukraine’s membership in NATO and facilitation of its accession to the EU, military assistance to protect and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and prevention and active deterrence of new aggression by Russia. The document provides for a mechanism of emergency consultations in the event of a possible future armed attack by Russia, which is to be activated within 24 hours. The agreement also enshrines France’s commitment to developing Ukraine’s defense industry through the attraction of French investments and the creation of joint defense enterprises.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first Western leader to announce the possibility of sending a military contingent to Ukraine.