PARIS (REUTERS) - French President Emmanuel Macron asked French arms manufacturer Nexter to increase the production of Caesar howitzers as he promised to send six more of the weapon systems to the Ukrainian army, a source close to France's defence ministry said.

Macron ahead of his visit to Kyiv on Thursday urged Nexter "to review its organisation to be able to work in a 'wartime' mode to be able to produce Ceasars much more quickly for the French army", the source said.

Macron on Thursday pledged to send six more Ceasar howitzers out of French army stocks to Ukraine, adding to the 12 previously delivered.

The French army in total holds less then 80 such artillery weapon systems.