Russian officials have declared that French soldiers in Ukraine will be “legitimate targets” for attacks, even if they are there to train troops for Kiev.
“Any foreign trainers involved in training Ukrainian soldiers do not enjoy immunity, regardless of whether they are French or from another country,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 4, referring to the possibility of Russia targeting NATO soldiers deployed to Ukraine for training purposes.
The statement came after Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Syrsky revealed last week that French soldiers, from the NATO member state, would soon be deployed to Ukraine to train local troops. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not confirmed this information.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday that his country’s military would “definitely” target French military trainers in Ukraine, regardless of their deployment purpose.
“No matter what they are called, whether members of the French armed forces or mercenaries, they are legitimate targets for our military,” Lavrov emphasized.
The French Ministry of Defense has not commented.
Diplomatic sources have reported that France plans to send military trainers to Ukraine to provide “technical expertise on Western-supplied aircraft” and equipment maintenance. French soldiers are likely to be present in Ukraine before President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Paris this week. Zelensky is expected to hold talks with his counterpart Emmanuel Macron on June 7.
Macron has previously suggested sending troops to Ukraine to support Kiev, despite opposition from some NATO countries, including the United States, and strong criticism from Russia.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev declared on May 6 that Moscow would use nuclear weapons against the West if NATO soldiers appeared in Ukraine. Medvedev frequently makes such statements, but Russia’s nuclear threats seem to be losing weight with the West.
On June 1, Paris authorities discovered five coffins draped in national flags with the inscription “French soldiers in Ukraine” near the Eiffel Tower, seemingly implying that soldiers deployed to Ukraine would not return alive. Local police arrested three individuals responsible, reportedly citizens of Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Germany.
On June 4, posters appeared at a bus stop outside the French embassy in Moscow, Russia, bearing the message “French people, do not repeat the mistakes of your ancestors,” along with an image of a soldier wearing a beret with the French tricolor flag on his arm, captioned as a Frenchman “siding with Nazi Germany against Russia.”
French Emperor Napoleon suffered a heavy defeat and lost 300,000 soldiers when attacking Russia in 1812. It is unclear who put up these posters.
