France announces the creation of a coalition to supply Ukraine with missiles and bombs

27 February, 2024 SCALP EG missile under the wing of the Ukrainian Su-24M bomber.

2023. Photo credits: Ukrainian Air Force French President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a coalition of long-range weapons for Ukraine.

The French President made the announcement after a conference of European leaders dedicated to helping Ukraine, which took place in Paris on Monday, February 26, Le Figaro reports. According to Macron, Ukraine's allies will create a coalition to supply Kyiv with medium- and long-range missiles. "It was decided to create a coalition for deep strikes and, accordingly, the provision of medium- and long-range missiles and bombs," the French President emphasized.

He added that the partners would hold intensive talks on this issue in the coming days.

SCALP EG missile under the wing of the Ukrainian Su-24M bomber. August 2023. Frame from the Ihor Smilyanskyi`s video

"Over the next ten days, we intend to put all these efforts on the negotiating table because we have reached out to many European and non-European countries that have munitions," Macron explained.

It is not yet clear what weapons are meant by the phrase "medium- and long-range missiles." However, it can be assumed that the French President was referring to the SCALP EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles that Ukraine already receives from France and the United Kingdom as part of military aid.

Storm Shadow and SCALP EG cruise missiles under the wing of the Su-24M (MR), August 2023. Photo credits: a frame from the video of the Ukrainian Air Force

Aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force have been using these missiles for a long time to hit important military targets of the invaders.

For this, Ukrainian Su-24M/MR bombers have been adapted to use such long-range weapons.

The Rafale fighter with AASM Hammer-250 bombs

Also, at the beginning of the year, France announced the transfer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces of AASM family aerial bombs equipped with an accelerator.

The range of such ammunition depends on the launch altitude and initial speed, but according to official data, it ranges between 15 and 70 kilometers.