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Ukraine parades new French Caesar howitzer

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="French army soldiers drive a " self-propelled="" mm="" gun-howitzer="" as="" they="" take="" part="" in="" a="" demonstration="" at="" the="" Eurosatory="" international="" land="" and="" airland="" defense="" security="" trade="" northern="" suburb="" of="" on="" June="" Emmanuel="" Dunand="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/afp/06/16/20220616-french-army-caesar-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>French army soldiers drive a &#x27;CAESAR&#x27; self-propelled 155 mm/52-calibre gun-howitzer as they take part in a demonstration at the Eurosatory international land and airland defense and security trade fair, in Villepinte, a northern suburb of Paris, on June 12, 2022. <em>Emmanuel Dunand / AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>EASTERN UKRAINE - Ukraine on Wednesday showed off one of its new French-made self-propelled howitzers, firing towards Russian-controlled areas, as Kyiv urges Western countries to provide more military hardware.</p><p>At a secret frontline location in eastern Ukraine, soldiers from the 55th brigade artillery unit drove the camouflaged truck-mounted Caesar into a muddy field and fired off three rounds, accompanied by deafening booms and bright flashes.</p><p>A watching military officer said the target was also a secret, while saying it would be within the range of 38 kilometers (24 miles). </p><p>The heavy artillery system highly prized for its accuracy is part of the new arsenal of modern weaponry provided to Ukraine by multiple countries since Russia invaded on February 24. </p><p>President Emmanuel Macron pledged to send several systems in April, later telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that arms supplies from Paris would &quot;increase in intensity&quot;.</p><p>The firing session watched by AFP journalists came as Macron on Wednesday called for &quot;new in-depth discussions&quot; with Ukraine, without confirming if he would travel this week to Kyiv as several media have reported.</p><p>While the US and other allies have also provided long-range howitzers, Kyiv has complained that it is still outgunned and pleaded for more heavy weapons. </p><p>Built by France&#x27;s partly state-owned arms maker Nexter, the Caesar is a 155mm howitzer mounted on a six-wheeled truck chassis, capable of firing shells at ranges of more than 40 kilometers (25 miles).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mp6Bk-6WCwQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><b>&#x27;Modern warfare&#x27; </b></div><p>The commander of the system, who gave his name only as Glib, said it helped make Ukraine&#x27;s defenses more agile.</p><p>&quot;This system is primarily very manoeuvrable and mobile,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;In modern warfare, this is a crucial factor. </p><p>&quot;Our old systems are stationary, so to speak. This is truck-mounted artillery to put in the field,&quot; he added. </p><p>The soldier said the weapons will allow Ukrainian troops to &quot;gain a lot of time, so that the enemy cannot attack us and fire back&quot;.</p><p>Other similar systems, such as the US M777s that Ukraine has also received, need to be towed. </p><p>Glib said he underwent a week of training in France on how to use the weapon, although there was &quot;very limited time&quot; and &quot;I had to train fast and remember everything quickly&quot;.</p><p>The officer said he could not disclose where in the country Kyiv was using the French howitzers.</p><p>Russian-backed separatists have claimed this month that Kyiv is using weaponry with 155-mm ammunition -- standard for NATO artillery -- to fire on the large city of Donetsk, which they control, and other nearby towns.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pwZR7rFuuP4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Glib denied such targeting.</p><p>&quot;Security of civilians is one of our priorities so we do not fire on residential areas,&quot; he said. </p><p>am/oc/bp</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

Ukraine on Wednesday showed off one of its new French-made self-propelled howitzers, firing towards Russian-controlled areas.