French carmaker, defense firm to co-produce drones in Ukraine: Lecornu
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French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu hails the joint production deal as a strategic milestone.
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French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu delivers his speech at the US cemetery to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings, Friday, June 6, 2025, in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy (AP)
A leading French automaker and a French defense company will collaborate to manufacture drones in Ukraine, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Saturday.
Lecornu told LCI that a major unnamed French automaker will partner with a mid-sized defense firm to set up drone production lines in Ukraine, calling it an unprecedented collaboration. He declined to name the companies, saying they would announce details themselves.
The French minister emphasized that this partnership would not only support Ukraine but also strengthen the French military by providing ongoing tactical and operational training in real combat scenarios, including experience in electronic warfare and remote operation management.
"You know, today's [self-propelled gun] CAESAR and CAESAR of four years ago are not the same thing already," Lecornu added.
This development comes as European nations bolster their support for Ukraine, amid intense escalation between Kiev and Moscow in light of the Ukrainian attack on Russian strategic bomber jets.
Russia retaliates, hits Kiev hard
On June 6, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had carried out large-scale strikes against Ukrainian military facilities, describing the operation as retaliation for what it called "terrorist acts" by Kiev's government.
"Last night, in response to the terrorist actions of the Kiev regime, the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike with long-range air, sea, and ground-based high-precision weapons, as well as with strike UAVs against design bureaus, enterprises producing and repairing weapons and military hardware of Ukraine, attack drone assembly workshops, flight training centers, and AFU weapons and military hardware depots," the Ministry said on Telegram.
The strikes reportedly hit multiple key Ukrainian defense sites, including weapons and military equipment depots used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), as well as facilities involved in drone assembly, military vehicle production and repair, aviation training centers, and weapons development bureaus.
European Nations bolster support for Ukraine
On June 2, the United Kingdom released its updated Strategic Defense Review, labeling Russia as an "immediate and pressing threat" while pledging sustained military and economic assistance to Ukraine through annual funding commitments reaching £3 billion ($4 billion), with the explicit promise to maintain this support indefinitely.
The UK plans to not only strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities but also create joint ventures with Kyiv while supporting Ukraine's integration into global markets, thereby expanding a long-term bilateral partnership.
Before the Strategic Defense Review on June 1, the British Defense Secretary John Healey announced that the United Kingdom would invest $2 billion in new arms factories as part of a rearmament initiative.
