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France to Service Caesar Howitzers for Ukraine Using Frozen Russian Assets

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Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko
Dariia Mykhailenko
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France to Service Caesar Howitzers for Ukraine Using Frozen Russian Assets
Servicemen of the 155th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine operate French-made CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers on the frontline near Pokrovsk, Ukraine on February 9, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

France will use profits from frozen Russian assets to support the continued operation of Caesar self-propelled howitzers provided to Ukraine, French Minister Delegate for Europe Jean-Noël Barrot announced during a visit to Lviv on May 9, Le Figaro reported.

The move marks a significant step in sustaining Ukraine’s long-range firepower. The 155mm wheeled howitzers, delivered as part of the international Artillery Coalition, have become a critical asset for Ukrainian forces countering Russian aggression.

“We will soon announce that, thanks to the mobilization of revenue from frozen Russian assets, France, through its defense company KNDS, will ensure operational maintenance of the Caesar systems provided to Ukraine,” Barrot stated.

The European Union previously approved the use of proceeds from immobilized Russian funds to support Ukraine’s defense. France is among the first to operationalize that policy in the form of direct battlefield impact.

In June 2024, the Franco-German defense manufacturer KNDS, which produces the Caesar platform, officially established a Ukrainian subsidiary in Paris and later launched a dedicated service center for the system’s maintenance.

According to Le Monde, 90% of Caesar gun barrels produced by KNDS are now being sent to Ukraine. France has also increased the production of the artillery systems to meet growing demand from the battlefield.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate had released images documenting the aftermath of coordinated strikes on Russian military targets in Debaltseve and Novoluhanske. Operatives from the Department of Active Operations, working in tandem with aerial reconnaissance specialists from the 45th Separate Artillery Brigade, successfully located and targeted two Russian military sites in the temporarily occupied Donetsk region.

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