France to send Ukraine 40 long-range Scalp missiles and "several hundred bombs"
Photo: AFP
France will deliver around 40 long-range Scalp missiles and "several hundred bombs" to Ukraine, according to President Emmanuel Macron.
The French leader also announced he would visit Kyiv to finalize work on a bilateral security guarantees agreement, Rubryka reports, citing Reuters.
The trip comes at a time when political disputes in the United States and the European Union are delaying two major aid packages for Ukraine.
France is working to finalize a bilateral security guarantees agreement with Ukraine to help strengthen its finances and defense against Russia, aiming to deter Moscow from future aggression.
Macron stated that approximately 40 Scalp long-range missiles and "several hundred bombs" will be delivered in the coming weeks.
"After these deliveries, I will personally go to Ukraine in February and finalize the work on these texts," said the French leader.
Macron also pointed out the need for Europeans to ensure that Ukraine can continue to defend itself against Russia.
He added that allowing the aggressor country to defeat Ukraine should not happen; otherwise, the security of Europe would be at risk.
In related news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the newly appointed Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Stéphane Séjourné, who was in Ukraine on his first visit.
The Ukrainian president praised the high efficiency of the military assistance provided by France, including the SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile systems, self-propelled artillery units CAESAR, and long-range SCALP-EG missiles. The parties discussed continuing security cooperation, particularly in drone production.
In July last year, France provided Ukraine with long-range missiles, and in return, Kyiv promised not to use them on the territory of the Russian Federation.
About SCALP
These long-range air-to-ground missiles are known as SCALP or Storm Shadow.
They are a joint development of France and the United Kingdom. The developer claims that the missile can overcome powerful air defense systems, has a warhead of 450 kg, and a range of over 250 km.
The United Kingdom supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a new long-range strike capability ahead of the long-awaited counteroffensive.
