France to deliver 40 more long-range missiles to Ukraine

President Macron announced that he would transfer 40 SCALP cruise missiles, also known as Storm Shadow, and hundreds of bombs to Ukraine to counter Russian forces.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on January 16 that he will visit the Ukrainian capital Kiev in February, adding that Paris is working on a new bilateral security agreement with Kiev and will announce the content during the visit.

He also announced that France would transfer more than 40 SCALP long-range cruise missiles and hundreds of unspecified bombs to Ukraine. "Europe's priority is to prevent Russia from winning," the Elysee chief told reporters.

Russian and Ukrainian officials have not commented on the information.

Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile hanging under the belly of a French fighter. Photo: MBDA

France first supplied SCALP-EG missiles to Ukraine in July last year, two months after Britain made a similar move, but the number of deliveries was not clear at the time.

The Storm Shadow/SCALP EG long-range cruise missile, jointly developed by the UK and France, has a maximum speed of 1,000 km/h and is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 250-560 km depending on the variant. Each missile costs more than 3 million USD. The Ukrainian Air Force uses them to attack high-value targets, protected by air defense networks and located deep inside Russian-controlled territory.

In terms of range, it is a "game-changer, providing a capability that Ukraine has been requesting since the outbreak of hostilities," a US military official said.

Storm Shadow/SCALP EG has caused a lot of damage to Russian fixed targets, forcing Moscow to strengthen its air defense network and disperse its units to limit damage. The Russian military has also had to maintain large-scale raids to destroy Storm Shadow/SCALP EG missile depots and the Su-24M attack aircraft that carry them.

Vu Anh (According to AFP, RIA Novosti )

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