Ukraine to receive a new batch of long-range SCALP missiles from France

Цей матеріал також доступний українською

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Photo: David Monniaux

France will provide Ukraine with a new batch of long-range SCALP missiles. The Ministry of Defense is preparing the shipment.

French Defense Minister Sébastien Le Coronneu told Le Journal du Dimanche that partners should keep aid to Ukraine at a stable level, as this will also allow the Ukrainian authorities to consider political decisions when they decide to do so.

"Military support is important, and even when the war is over, the Ukrainian army will need to continue to be strengthened," Lecornu said.

SCALP is the French version of the Storm Shadow cruise missile, which is a joint development between Britain and France. The French and British versions of the missile are almost identical. The only differences are in the software and carrier aircraft. The range of SCAL missiles is 560 kilometers. But there is an export version with a reduced range of 290 km and a smaller warhead.

The minister emphasized that France will continue the training program for 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers, who are being trained on French equipment. He predicts that Russia's strikes deep into Ukraine's territory may intensify in the winter. According to him, France will provide Ukraine with portable Mistral air defense systems and SCALP missiles.

"To allow Ukraine to strike behind the front line, in recent days I have signed a new transfer of about ten SCALP missiles, as promised by French President Volodymyr Zelenskyy," Lecornu said.

Earlier, several missiles (probably Storm Shadow) attacked the air defense base of the 3rd Radio Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces on Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea. The missiles damaged the territory of the base, killing the commander of the 85683 military unit, Alexander Kulakov, and another soldier.

Poland also ranked first among all countries providing assistance to Ukraine in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). According to official sources, Polish aid was one of the first to arrive at the Ukrainian front in significant volumes.