France approves Ukrainian attacks deep within Russian territory
Kiev might employ French cruise missiles for "self-defense," according to Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has stated that Ukraine is permitted to use French missiles to strike targets within internationally-recognized Russian territory, although he did not confirm if such attacks have already occurred.
In an upcoming interview set to air on British state broadcaster BBC on Sunday, Barrot emphasized that Paris does "not set and express red lines" regarding its support for Kiev. He indicated that Ukraine may carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory "in the logics of self-defense."
France has supplied Ukraine with an undisclosed number of SCALP-EG cruise missiles, which have been utilized by Kiev to target locations in Crimea and the four Ukrainian regions that joined Russia in 2022. The SCALP-EG, also referred to as the Storm Shadow in the UK, is a British-French air-launched cruise missile capable of reaching ranges up to 550 kilometers.
Barrot's statements followed the Ukrainian military's confirmation that Storm Shadow missiles were employed for the first time in an assault on Russia's Kursk Region, where Ukrainian forces executed a cross-border operation in August. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian air defenses intercepted two of these British missiles.
Last weekend, reports surfaced that US President Joe Biden had authorized Ukraine to use American-made ATACMS ballistic missiles for long-range strikes in the Kursk Region. Shortly after Biden's decision, which has not been formally confirmed by the White House, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that five ATACMS missiles were intercepted over Bryansk Region, with one missile sustaining damage and landing on a military site.
In May, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that he would consider permitting the use of SCALP-EG missiles to target deep within Russia. Recently, Barrot informed reporters that Macron remains receptive to this notion. His remarks to the BBC mark the first instance in which a French official has acknowledged Ukraine's potential use of the missiles for long-range assaults on Russian soil.
Barrot did not specify whether these attacks had already occurred.
In response to the recent ATACMS and Storm Shadow strikes, Russia targeted a military industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk with a new ballistic missile. President Vladimir Putin disclosed that the Oreshnik, a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, struck the facility at high speed, and plans for mass production and integration into Russia's arsenal are underway.
Putin accused the US and NATO of intentionally escalating the conflict and asserted that Russia would fulfill its military objectives regardless of the weapon systems utilized by Kiev. He warned that further attacks involving Western weapons would lead to retaliatory strikes on chosen targets. Conclusively, he stated, "make no mistake: there will always be a response."
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
In an upcoming interview set to air on British state broadcaster BBC on Sunday, Barrot emphasized that Paris does "not set and express red lines" regarding its support for Kiev. He indicated that Ukraine may carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory "in the logics of self-defense."
France has supplied Ukraine with an undisclosed number of SCALP-EG cruise missiles, which have been utilized by Kiev to target locations in Crimea and the four Ukrainian regions that joined Russia in 2022. The SCALP-EG, also referred to as the Storm Shadow in the UK, is a British-French air-launched cruise missile capable of reaching ranges up to 550 kilometers.
Barrot's statements followed the Ukrainian military's confirmation that Storm Shadow missiles were employed for the first time in an assault on Russia's Kursk Region, where Ukrainian forces executed a cross-border operation in August. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian air defenses intercepted two of these British missiles.
Last weekend, reports surfaced that US President Joe Biden had authorized Ukraine to use American-made ATACMS ballistic missiles for long-range strikes in the Kursk Region. Shortly after Biden's decision, which has not been formally confirmed by the White House, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that five ATACMS missiles were intercepted over Bryansk Region, with one missile sustaining damage and landing on a military site.
In May, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that he would consider permitting the use of SCALP-EG missiles to target deep within Russia. Recently, Barrot informed reporters that Macron remains receptive to this notion. His remarks to the BBC mark the first instance in which a French official has acknowledged Ukraine's potential use of the missiles for long-range assaults on Russian soil.
Barrot did not specify whether these attacks had already occurred.
In response to the recent ATACMS and Storm Shadow strikes, Russia targeted a military industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk with a new ballistic missile. President Vladimir Putin disclosed that the Oreshnik, a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, struck the facility at high speed, and plans for mass production and integration into Russia's arsenal are underway.
Putin accused the US and NATO of intentionally escalating the conflict and asserted that Russia would fulfill its military objectives regardless of the weapon systems utilized by Kiev. He warned that further attacks involving Western weapons would lead to retaliatory strikes on chosen targets. Conclusively, he stated, "make no mistake: there will always be a response."
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
