France asserts no limits on Ukrainian missile strikes
Gaël Veyssière, the French ambassador to Ukraine, confirmed that France intends to continue supplying Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles. He also emphasised that military targets located on Russian territory are legitimate targets for Ukrainians, and, therefore, France will not impose restrictions on attacking them.
“Yes, we continue to provide SCALP missiles. We don't have many of them, and we have to buy more, so it will take some time. It is also complicated by the fact that we have to ensure proper defence of our country. But we are doing everything we can, and we are sending new French SCALP missiles to Ukraine, the UK is supplying Storm Shadows, and the Americans are supplying ATACMS,” said Veyssière in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
France will continue to supply Ukraine with SCALP-EG missiles
“We have not drawn any ‘red line’ on this issue, and military targets on Russian territory are legitimate. Ukraine has the right to target Russian military capabilities because it is a crazy situation when Russians can attack Ukraine from Russian territory and Ukraine cannot eliminate this threat. It would be unfair,” the ambassador emphasised.
This approach conflicts with Donald Trump’s stance. The U.S. President-elect stated in an interview with "Time" magazine that the decisions made by Joe Biden's administration to permit Ukraine to attack Russia with ATACMS missiles only serve to exacerbate the ongoing war.
SCALP-EG a valuable aid for Ukrainians
The SCALP-EG is among the most valuable weapons Ukraine receives from the West. Its capabilities allow for attacks on critical Russian targets and systems. Initially, these missiles were used to strike targets such as the Chongar Bridge and the shipyard in Sevastopol. They are now targeting not only Russian-occupied areas but also Russian territories.
These long-range cruise missiles are manufactured by the European defence company MBDA. They can hit targets at a distance of several hundred kilometres. Each missile is over 5 metres long and has a warhead weighing approximately 450 kilograms, known as the BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge).
The Ukrainians commend the SCALP-EG not only for its destructive power but also for its ability to bypass even the latest Russian air defence systems, such as the Pantsir-S1. The maximum speed reached by the SCALP-EG, when launched from aircraft, is about 0.9 Mach, which is over 966 kilometres per hour.
