Sebastien Lecornu, French Minister of Defense, said that France successfully tested the first “kamikaze drones” and will deliver them to Ukraine in “the coming weeks”.
Lecornu stated that the “tests of France’s remote-controlled munition, also known as kamikaze drones”, had been “a success”.
Drones are becoming a vital weapon on Ukrainian battlefields. Russia has used a wide range of kamikaze drones, such as Iranian Shaheds, to target Ukrainian cities or infrastructure. They have also used domestically-made Lancets to attack Kyiv’s soldiers.
Lecornu announced earlier this year that France would order 2,000 Kamikaze drones. The first 100 drones will be sent to Ukraine.
Since last year, France’s Delair has been working with KNDS to develop the Colibri loitering munitions. Calibri was launched as a project to develop a system that has a radius of five kilometers for less than 20,000 euro ($22,000).
The drones will be delivered to Ukraine between 2024-2025. Delair previously provided Ukraine 100 UX-11 surveillance drones and 50 larger DT-26 robots.
The minister said that “Kamikaze Drones are absolutely essential” and they will be able “to complement Caesar Howitzers”, referring to advanced artillery systems France supplied to Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the full-scale conflict in 2022, France allocated approximately $3.5 billion to Ukraine in military aid, including Caesar howitzers, AMX-10 armored vehicle, and other equipment. Paris has also promised to provide its Mirage 2000 aircraft next year.
CNN reported on October 16 that U.S. president Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of Germany France and the U.K. later this week in Berlin after his earlier trip was postponed because of Hurricane Milton.
Sebastien Lecornu, French Defense Minister, said on October 16 that France has successfully tested its first kamikaze drones and will deliver these to Ukraine “in upcoming weeks”.
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Roman Mrochko said that the military administration of Kherson, located in southern Ukraine, has lost all electricity for reasons as yet unknown.
According to the statement, 60 drones “were lost” in electronic warfare across a number regions, and 20 drones flew over Ukraine as of the date of publication. Two more drones flew toward Russia.
“Such a step would also show a new level desperation on the part of Russia, as it continues to suffer significant losses in its brutal war with Ukraine,” White House National Council spokeswoman Sean Savett stated.
This includes 1,450 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
On October 15, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov declared that local authorities will conduct mandatory evacuations for residents of the city of Kupiansk and three adjacent communities due to ongoing Russian advances.
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Charles Michel, President of the European Council, announced on October 15 that he invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to present a victory plan for defeating Russia during a summit this week of EU leaders.
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According to Suspilne, the sources claim that the North Korean soldiers left around 7 kilometers (4miles) from the border of Ukraine.
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Serhii Lehchenko, advisor to the Presidential Office, reported that unnamed U.S. legislators cited America’s Vietnam War experience, where men aged 18-26 years old were drafted into combat.
Western diplomats and analysts say that the growing military ties between Russia and North Korea show Moscow’s increasing dependence on resources to continue its costly war in Ukraine.
Interfax reported that the federal censorship agency Roskomnadzor confirmed that Steam, with its online catalog of over 100,000 games, and the use by more than 130 million people around the world including close to 10 millions in Russia, has agreed to comply to the legislation.
David Arakhamia is the leader of Zelensky’s Servant of the People, a parliamentary group. He made comments to the Kyiv Independent.
Financial Times (FT), Oct. 15, reported that Elina Valtonen, Finnish Foreign Minister, warned that Western countries are becoming tired of their support for Ukraine and called for a stronger commitment to backing Kyiv.
According to a Harvard CAPS/Harris survey, 48% of voters in swing states who said they’d vote early supported Trump while 47% supported Harris. Another 5% of voters said they had voted or chose another candidate.
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