France will continue to supply Ukraine with long-range SCALP missiles (the French equivalent of the British Storm Shadow), Ukraine's Ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko has said in an interview with LB.ua.
"We already have all the SCALP missiles that the French promised to provide as part of the first batch. That was a test batch, and the missiles have proven themselves well. SCALPs will continue to be supplied. The main issue with these deliveries is their rhythm, and the French are doing very well," the ambassador said.
He also noted that if you hear President Zelenskyy or President Macron say that France has decided to heed Ukraine's request for some weapons, you should know that they are already in Ukraine and are already used on the frontline.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, President Emmanuel Macron said that France would start supplying Ukraine with long-range Scalp missiles.
These missiles are designed to be launched from aircraft. The export version has a range of more than 250 km. Versions with a range of 500 km are made for France and Britain, according to the specialist website Militarnyy. Ukraine will receive missiles from the French armed forces' own stockpile.
Long-range missiles are one of Ukraine's main needs. The Russians have long-range missiles and use them against the Ukrainian military in their attempts to attack and de-occupy territories. To achieve parity, needs similar or stronger weapons to attack the Russians on its own soil.
Since this spring, the UK has been supplying long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. However, the USA has not yet allowed the delivery of its ATACMS.