Moscow said Friday that France’s announcement to deploy fighters jets to Ukraine and train its pilots is a direct participation in the conflict.

“Macron demonstrates absolute support for the Kyiv regime and declares readiness for France’s direct participation in the military conflict,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron.

“We consider these statements to be very, very provocative, inflaming tensions on the continent and not conducive to anything positive,” Peskov said on the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The French leader has taken a hawkish line in his support for Ukraine, promising on Thursday to transfer Mirage fighter jets to the embattled country and help train Ukrainian pilots.

“Tomorrow we will launch a new cooperation and announce the transfer of Mirage 2000-5” fighter jets to Ukraine made by French manufacturer Dassault and train their Ukrainian pilots in France, Macron told French TV.

Macron said he would offer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when the two meet for talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Friday that the pilots be trained from this summer.

“You need normally between five-six months. So by the end of the year there will be pilots. The pilots will be trained in France,” he said.

Macron did not specify how many of the fighter jets would be delivered. Contacted by Agence France-Presse, the defense ministry did not elaborate.

He said Ukraine was facing a “huge challenge” training soldiers as it sought to mobilize tens of thousands more troops to go to the front.

The French president said France would equip and train an entire brigade of 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers so they can defend themselves when they return to Ukraine from training.

Macron has refused to rule out deploying troops to Ukraine, despite reluctance from other North Atlantic Treaty Organization members and furious condemnation from Moscow.

France does not officially have military personnel assisting or training Ukrainian forces in Ukraine at the moment, but Kyiv said last week it was “in talks” with Paris on the issue.

Russia warned on Tuesday it would consider any foreign instructors sent to Ukraine “legitimate target” for strikes.