Reference News Network, October 29 report. According to the website of Russia's "Zavtra" newspaper, on October 28, Russian experts believe that France has intentions regarding Odessa and Ilyichevsk in Ukraine. In response to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service's information about France's plan to train over 2,000 soldiers to assist Ukraine, Russian military expert Yuri Knutov told "Zavtra" commented that Paris hopes to control the logistics of some areas in Ukraine and plans to establish air force and navy bases there in the future.

This military expert and historian of the air defense forces said: "The Foreign Legion is an organization directly subordinate to the French president. Its members are foreigners who can obtain French nationality after serving for a certain period of time. These people mainly come from former French colonial countries in Latin America and Africa. They have received strict training."

Knutov added that compared to the Russian Airborne Troops, Foreign Legion soldiers usually use light and medium weapons. He said: "They are well trained and can quickly move between different war zones. The Foreign Legion has frequently participated in combat in many conflicts in Africa, and their most recent defeat occurred in Mali."

Knutov believes that the main purpose of Paris deploying troops in Ukraine is to consolidate its sphere of influence. He speculated: "Kyiv has already signed several secret agreements with countries such as France and the UK. According to these documents, Ukraine is divided into several independent regions. France strives to control the objectives specified in the Franco-Ukrainian agreement."

Knutov pointed out that the official reason given by France is to assist the Ukrainian armed forces. He explained: "France expects that after sending French soldiers to take over the defense of facilities, the Ukrainian military command will be able to free up 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers and send them to the front line, which is actually equivalent to an entire combat brigade." According to his assessment, the primary goal of France is the Black Sea coast cities of Odessa and Ilyichevsk.

This analyst emphasized: "Paris intends to maintain control over the logistics and plans to establish air force and navy bases there in the future. In fact, this is a form of covert intervention under the guise of dispatching so-called consultants and instructors, and it attempts to occupy parts of Ukraine." He added that France is setting a negative example for Poland and Germany.

Knutov said that this development complicates the peaceful resolution of the conflict. "The Russian army considers the Foreign Legion as a legitimate military target. Our forces need to identify the deployment locations of the troops in Ukraine and strike them using high-precision weapons. I think that in this situation, Macron will inevitably face strong domestic dissatisfaction in France, but this responsibility lies entirely with him," Knutov concluded. (Translated by Han Ziling)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566638208017039923/

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