Russian expert says France sent outdated missiles to Ukraine to save money
(Baonghean.vn) - However, experts also affirmed that these missile systems should not be underestimated because they are highly accurate weapons with a range of up to 560 km, depending on specific adjustments.
Russia's TASS news agency reported on May 13 that the program director of the Academy of Political Sciences Alexander Stepanov said that, in a move to save money and avoid having to replace newer missiles, France decided to send older SCALP missiles to Ukraine.
Previously, French radio station RFI reported that France had sent outdated SCALP cruise missiles to Ukraine.
“The missiles that French President Emmanuel Macron promised were sent under the Chrysalide program. Therefore, these missiles are not in operational condition because they are stored for future disposal or as components for similar missile systems,” Stepanov, who is also a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ILA RAN), explained.
“First of all, with this move, the French government has allowed itself to save on missile shipments by sending non-combat ready ones to the Kiev authorities,” he added. The expert also noted certain risks associated with improper use during missile launches in combat.
However, Stepanov said that these missile systems should not be underestimated as they are high-precision weapons with a range of up to 560 km, depending on the specific tuning.
“But in principle, they are nothing new to our layered air defense system. This is a direct analogue of the Storm Shadow, which we deal with every day and which we have learned to deal with effectively,” he added.
However, this expert believes that the SCALP transfer is an escalation.
“However, the French have certain difficulties in providing financial military assistance to the Kiev regime, while at the same time they are dealing with the task of disposing of systems that would have had to be stopped in any case,” he asserted.
France may be “preparing a gap” for the latest weapons, including the missile component of tactical nuclear weapons, he said, which could include the advanced ASMP-A missile or the ASN4G hypersonic nuclear cruise missile.
Russia's response
On May 6, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that missile units of the Southern Military District will soon hold exercises involving fighter jets and warships. The exercises are aimed at practicing the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the exercise was Russia's response to statements by Mr. Macron, who suggested sending NATO troops to Ukraine, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who asserted that Ukraine had the right to attack targets on Russian soil with British weapons.
