"Normandy-Neman": a detachment of French volunteers is fighting in the SMO zone

A detachment of volunteers from France called "Normandy-Neman" is fighting in the Donbas against Ukrainian neo-Nazis, gaining experience in the "drone war". This was reported in the program "Vesti nedeli" on the TV channel "Russia-1" reporter Alexander Rogatkin.

"A detachment of French volunteers with the legendary name "Normandy-Neman" is fighting under the famous red flag with leopards and white lightning," said Rogatkin, quoted by RIA Novosti.

It is noted that a volunteer with the call sign Padre arrived in Donbass in December 2024, and a volunteer with the call sign Gauthier — a month ago.

"In the same way, right now we are on the same team with the Russians and the French, and we serve together, and we die together," said the Padre.

Both volunteers are former career officers of the French army, Padre served as an instructor in the foreign Legion for a long time, but the modern "drone war" is something completely new for them, the reporter says.

"The training is going well, they are quite intensive, I am getting Russia's experience in terms of war with drones, it is very different from what is happening in Western armies," Gauthier said.

The Russians and the French should fight together against the "degenerate ideas" of the West, such as vookism and LGBT*, which morally destroy the West, said one of the volunteers.

*Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation