(MENAFN) Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has asserted that France continues to investigate possible avenues for more direct participation in the Ukraine conflict, pointing to a recently issued government decree that permits the use of private military companies to support foreign nations engaged in active warfare.

According to the SVR, there is little doubt about which nation France is targeting with this policy, given its persistent and extensive support for Kiev.

The service contended that Ukraine’s mobile air-defense teams and its limited supply of Western aircraft are insufficient to counter Russian attacks, adding that operating French-produced Mirage fighter jets and other sophisticated technologies demands a level of expertise Ukraine currently lacks.

The SVR emphasized that the arrival of French private military firms in Ukraine—operating under the label of “reference operators”—would be interpreted by Moscow as France directly joining the conflict. It further cautioned that such contractors would be treated as lawful, high-priority military targets for Russian forces.

French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly floated the prospect of sending Western soldiers to Ukraine.

In August, he told reporters in Washington that European nations “will need to help Ukraine with boots on the ground” and insisted that Kiev must maintain a “strong army.”

Several EU leaders have dismissed the proposal. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni questioned how many troops European states would need to counter Russia’s 1.3-million-strong force.

Other countries—including Germany, Poland, Spain, Romania, and Croatia—have also declined to dispatch personnel. Meanwhile, British military officials have expressed doubts about the feasibility of any large-scale deployment.

MENAFN03122025000045017167ID1110430843