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Kiev gets test batch of SCALP missiles from Paris — Ukrainian ambassador

Vadim Omelchenko claims that France is "doing very well" in terms of the pace of deliveries of these missiles to Ukraine

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. France has provided Kiev with a test batch of SCALP long-range air-to-surface missiles and their deliveries will continue, Ukrainian ambassador to Paris Vadim Omelchenko said in an interview with the Ukrainian media resource Left Bank.

"All SCALP missiles, which the French have promised to provide within the framework of the first batch, are already here. This batch was a test one. <...> There will be more SCALPs. Their deliveries are continuing," he said. Omelchenko claims that France is "doing very well" in terms of the pace of deliveries of these missiles to Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron, after arriving at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11, announced his intention to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine. Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said that some of the missiles have already been delivered, while others are on the way. The minister refused to disclose their quantity. According to Reuters, France intends to supply to Ukraine 50 SCALP missiles, which will be adapted for use by Soviet-made aircraft. On August 6, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that Kiev had received SCALP missiles from Paris.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has described Paris's decision to supply Kiev with long-range missiles as intentional escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. She noted that France "acts immorally by supporting with weapons those who glorify the Nazis and profess fascist logic."

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