French defence minister announces drone production in Ukraine
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stated that a French car manufacturer, in cooperation with a defence company, will launch drone production in Ukraine.
Source: Le Monde; European Pravda
Details: French car and defence companies will manufacture drones on Ukrainian territory. Lecornu considers this a "mutually beneficial" partnership with Kyiv.
"We are launching an entirely new partnership, under which a major French car company will join forces with a small or medium-sized French defence business to establish production lines in Ukraine for manufacturing drones," he said.
He did not specify the type of drones but noted they would be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Lecornu also mentioned that these drones would be available to French armed forces so they "maintain constant tactical and operational training that corresponds to the realities" of the war in Ukraine.
He said that Ukraine would provide feedback on the use of these drones in combat conditions.
"There is no need to ask French citizens to work on the production line in Ukraine," Lecornu emphasised.
He added that Ukrainians are "better than us at developing drones and, most importantly, at forming the doctrine of their application".
Background:
On 5 June, Ukrainian and French defence ministers discussed possibilities for joint weapons production for the needs of Ukraine's defence forces during a meeting in Brussels.
Ukraine and its partner countries decided to establish a mechanism for defence production, according to an agreement reached at the 28th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein Format) held on 4 June at NATO headquarters.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Bucharest gay pride march turns 20 as LGBT people face growing hostility from right-wing groups
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Thousands of LGBTQ+ supporters took to the streets of Romania's capital Saturday for its annual gay pride parade, following a tense election cycle marked by an increase in hate speech against the community. Marchers of all ages walked through Bucharest's streets and down the central Victory Avenue, as many waved colorful flags, blew whistles and held placards that read: 'Be proud, be bold, be you!' Held since 2005, the event marked Bucharest Pride's 20th anniversary. This year's parade comes on the heels of a highly divisive and chaotic election cycle that saw a rise in support for far-right and conservative political figures and parties in the European Union member, one of the bloc's most religious countries. Victor Ciobotaru, executive director of ACCEPT Association, an LGBTQ+ rights group, told The Associated Press that throughout the 2024-2025 election cycle, the organization registered 'a huge increase' in hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. 'We had more people complaining about being harassed on the streets or being attacked,' he said. 'This hate speech doesn't remain without effect, we can feel the tension within the society … We are going to continue to fight for our rights, no matter the political climate.' Earlier on Saturday, right-wing groups who advocate for traditional family values and oppose same sex marriage held an anti-LGBT countermarch in the capital, with many waving the country's tricolor national flags and others holding placards depicting religious icons. Ahead of the parade, the ACCEPT association also reported a large 'STOP LGBT' banner that had been draped over an abandoned Bucharest apartment block, which was later removed. 'These types of actions are now more legitimized by the hate discourse which was spread all during these years, during these electoral campaigns,' Ciobotaru added. 'We will not be afraid to go on the streets.' This year marks 24 years since Romania, a country of about 19 million, decriminalized homosexuality. In ILGA-Europe's 2025 Rainbow Map, which assesses the legal and policy landscape for LGBT people across Europe, Romania ranked last among all 27 EU countries, followed by Poland and Bulgaria, the advocacy group found.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine refutes Russia's claims of disrupting POW exchange
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that it had delayed a planned exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and the bodies of fallen soldiers, reportedly scheduled for June 7-8. Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed to conduct a major swap, which would include severely injured prisoners and young people aged 18 to 25, during their second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2. After the talks, Russia also pledged to transfer 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and officers to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that preparations for exchanging the bodies would begin after the POW swap. On June 7, however, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in peace talks, claimed that the contact group of the Russian Defense Ministry was reportedly stationed at the border with Ukraine, but the Ukrainian side "unexpectedly postponed both the transfer of bodies and the POW exchange indefinitely." Ukraine's Defense Ministry dismissed the claim as false, saying it was an attempt by Russia to avoid returning Ukrainian POWs from captivity and take their POWs back to Russia. "Unfortunately, the Ukrainian side is once again facing attempts to retroactively revise agreements. If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team," the ministry wrote on Telegram. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs also refuted Russia's claim, saying that "instead of constructive dialogue, Ukraine once again faced manipulations and attempts to exploit sensitive humanitarian issues for information purposes." According to the headquarters, Ukraine submitted lists of POWs "formed according to clearly defined categories agreed upon during the negotiations in Istanbul," while the Russian side "provided different lists that do not correspond to the agreed approach." The headquarters also added that an agreement on the repatriation of bodies of fallen soldiers was made, but the date was not set. "Instead of consistently implementing the agreed procedure, the Russian side took unilateral actions that were not coordinated within the joint process," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, instead of constructive dialogue, we are once again faced with manipulations and attempts to exploit sensitive humanitarian issues for information purposes. We remain committed to a real outcome — the return of our prisoners and the bodies of the fallen — and are ready to continue working within the agreed framework." The latest direct Russia-Ukraine talks, hosted by Turkish officials, followed the first round of negotiations on May 16. The initial meeting ended with an agreement on the largest prisoner exchange of the war, but without any tangible progress toward a peace deal. Ukraine has returned over 5,000 prisoners via exchanges with Russia since March 2022, according to officials. Kyiv has repeatedly pressed Moscow to agree to an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange, but Russia has rejected the proposal. Read also: 'It's okay, Mom, I'm home' —Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap of the war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Nintendo Issues Two Safety Warnings About The Nintendo Switch 2
Illustration of the interior of a Fnac store, a French chain of stores specializing in the ... More distribution of cultural products (music, literature, cinema, video games) and electronics at the Beaugrenelle shopping center in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France, on June 6, 2025. Console Nintendo Switch 2. Games console. (Photo by Riccardo Milani / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by RICCARDO MILANI/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images) For those lucky gamers who've already gotten their hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 or who have one coming soon, Nintendo has issued a 'careful usage' warning about what not to do with your console (via IGN). Many of the warnings in this section of the user manual are pretty boilerplate, like keeping small parts away from children or cleaning the AC adapter should it become dirty. One, however, stands out: 'The screen is covered with a film layer designed to prevent fragments scattering in the event of damage. Do not peel it off.' This is an odd recommendation, as most screens you buy come with a similar film and you always peel it off and generally (if you're smart) replace it with a screen protector of some sort. It's unusual to leave the manufacturer's protective film on a screen, as these are typically not designed with touch in mind. Perhaps the best advice would be to not remove the film until you've purchased a better screen protector to replace it with. Nintendo also warned users to regularly charge the console. "Make sure to charge the built-in batteries at least once every six months," the document reads. "If the batteries are not used for an extended period of time, it may become impossible to charge them." This shouldn't be a problem for fans diving headlong into Mario Kart World, but I can certainly attest to my own original Nintendo Switch consoles sitting idle for months on end, though this was largely after enough Joy-Cons suffered from drift that I simply stopped playing Nintendo games. A bonus warning: Over on the Nintendo Switch reddit, a user posted that they noticed a bulge in their system where the battery is located, and a number of other users posted that they noticed the same thing. The OP checked with Nintendo's customer service and writes, that Nintendo 'advised me not to ignore and to turn it off, package it and return it ASAP". If your Switch 2 has a similar bulge, you should probably do the same or at least contact customer service. Other than this, it appears the Switch 2 is a huge hit with fans, reportedly moving over 3 million units in 24 hours, though this has yet to be officially confirmed. I have yet to get my hands on a Switch, though I plan on trying out some brick-and-mortar options this weekend since I was unable to find one online or secure a pre-order. How's your Switch 2? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
