Le Figaro: French military parade to focus on backing Ukraine
Photo: military parade in France will be dedicated to support for Ukraine (Getty Images)
The traditional military parade in France marking Bastille Day, which will take place on July 14, will be dedicated to support for Ukraine and to demonstrating the West's readiness to counter Russian aggression, according to Le Figaro.
This year's parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris is expected to significantly exceed last year’s scale.
Around 10,000 servicemen are expected to take part in the march. In addition, the French military command has decided to increase the number of heavy ground equipment and combat aircraft by approximately 30%.
The event will carry particular political significance, as it will be the last military parade during the current presidency of Emmanuel Macron.
The main and most spectacular element of the air segment will be a demonstration of Ukrainian-French aviation cooperation.
Two Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be piloted by Ukrainian and French pilots. One of the aircraft will be symbolically repainted in Ukraine's national colors.
Overall, the concept of the upcoming parade was designed by the French General Staff with consideration of the current critical strategic situation in Europe.
Paris aims to visibly demonstrate the real results of the large-scale modernization of its armed forces amid Russia's war against Ukraine.
French units deployed on NATO's eastern flank, including in Estonia, Poland, and Romania, will also take part in the parade.
As a reminder, earlier we reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in the G7 summit in France in mid-June, where he intends to raise several issues, including Ukraine's security situation.
