France deployed troops from its 3rd Infantry Regiment, a part of the Foreign Legion, to support Ukraine's 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in Slavyansk. Former US deputy undersecretary of defence for policy, Stephen Bryen, made the claim in an article published by the Asia Times. Around 100 French Foreign Legion soldiers had arrived in Ukraine, with plans for approximately 1,500 more to follow. These troops were being posted directly in a hot combat area and were intended to help the Ukrainians resist Russian advances in Donbas.