Emmanuel Macron announced when he arrived at the summit that France had “decided to deliver new missiles allowing deep strikes to Ukraine”.
For the Kremlin, this is a mistake
The Kremlin immediately replied that the delivery of these missiles was a “mistake” and that Russia would have to take “countermeasures” in the conflict in Ukraine. Paris has not provided any details on the number of missiles that have already been or will be delivered, while its stocks are estimated at “less than 400” according to the specialized magazine Defense and International Security.
“The number delivered to Ukraine is quite significant, but it will preserve French stocks very well above the capacities we need,” said the quoted source.
Their delivery meets the three criteria defined by France for the supply of arms to Kiev: that they be “useful in the fight” of the Ukrainians, “not escalatory” vis-à-vis Russia and “do not weaken France’s ability to defend itself,” she insisted.
The SCALPs, with a range of 250 kilometers, will on the contrary make it possible to “rebalance” the balance of forces in relation to “Russian strike capacities at several thousand kilometers”, she noted.
A weapon of “very high precision”
Ukraine has also provided for these missiles, as for all Western weapons delivered, “guarantees of use within its internationally recognized borders”. The United Kingdom was the first country to announce, in May, the shipment of long-range missiles to Ukraine.
This is Storm Shadow, or SCALP in the French military, jointly developed by the UK and France. This cruise missile, fired from an aircraft, offers “very high precision” and can “penetrate hardened targets” such as bunkers or infrastructure.
Accustomed to being fired from Western aircraft such as Rafale, Mirage, Eurofighter or Tornado, it will be integrated this time on old generation aircraft of Russian manufacture, indicated the quoted soldier, without further details.