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Macron Interceptors After Kryvyi Rih
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that France would deliver new interceptor missiles to Kyiv after a major Russian attack on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine.
“France would deliver new interceptor missiles to Kyiv”
Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched two waves of drone attacks on the city on Friday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 130 others, including 23 children.
Macron said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the daylight "double strike" on Kryvyi Rih and expressed his "horror" and "deep concern" over the incident.
Zelenskyy said in a separate post that the pair had spoken for close to two hours, touching on Ukraine's air defence needs, funding, and communications with Washington, and that "We agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles."
Condemnation and the Will Coalition
Macron framed the attack as part of a broader pattern, writing on X that "It is crucial to provide Ukraine with all the necessary means to defend its airspace and thwart this aggression," after the Kryvyi Rih strike.
The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas condemned the incident as "terror by design," as the attack prompted condemnation from leading figures across Europe.
Reuters reported that Zelenskyy said he had spoken for almost two hours with Macron, and that Macron expressed his willingness to intercede with allies holding U.S.-made Patriot interceptors.
Reuters also said Macron and Zelenskyy discussed accelerating delivery of new French equipment and missiles, with Zelenskyy saying, "We agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles," without providing further details.
Air Defence Shortage and Retaliation
The announcements came as Ukraine said its air defences were running short after the latest round of deadly Russian attacks, with Reuters describing the Patriot system as the only weapon in Ukraine's arsenal capable of downing high-speed ballistic missiles.
“The Patriot air defence system is the only weapon in Ukraine's arsenal capable of downing high-speed ballistic missiles”
Reuters said Ukraine is awaiting delivery of the new Italo-French SAMP/T-NG missile defence system, and noted that European diplomats had previously said it was not expected to arrive in Ukraine before spring next year.
In parallel, Reuters reported that Ukraine launched its own strikes against Russia over the last 24 hours, hitting the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery and a logistics hub in the Samara region, along with targets in the Black Sea, per Zelenskyy.
Macron said he agreed to strengthen French support for Ukraine, including through interceptor missile delivery, while Zelenskyy said he and Macron discussed the status of peace talks and communications with Washington and that "We agreed on steps that could open up additional diplomatic opportunities."