Ukraine war briefing: Macron focuses on delivery of missile interceptors as Russian attacks intensify

Key Points:

• French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to enhance support for Ukraine by delivering interceptor missiles and accelerating the deployment of the SAMP/T air defence system, following discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Kyiv’s air defence shortages amid intensified Russian missile strikes.
• The Anti-Missile Coalition, consisting of 10 European countries and launched in Paris, aims to develop a cost-effective alternative to US Patriot systems, with France licensing Ukraine to manufacture interceptor missiles and long-range cruise missiles like SCALP.
• Russian missile attacks have surged, causing high civilian casualties, including a deadly strike on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih and attacks near Kyiv during a German official’s visit, while Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted Russian economic infrastructure and occupied territories.
• Diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow has stalled, with Ukraine’s allies in the Coalition of the Willing preparing to increase pressure on Russia, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of intensified retaliation following Ukrainian strikes aimed at disrupting Moscow’s war financing.
• The conflict’s violence continues in multiple regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Crimea, where Russian-backed authorities report civilian casualties from Ukrainian drone attacks and missile strikes, underscoring the ongoing intensity and geographic spread of the war.