Ukraine updates: France backs longer-range missile use

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC that Ukraine can shoot French longer-range missiles into Russia in the "logics of self-defense." The French Scalp missiles are the same as the UK's Storm Shadow missiles, which Ukraine had already used in attacks on Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tolt state media that Barrot's comments are "not support for Ukraine, but rather a death knell for Ukraine." 

Barrot spoke after the United States greenlit the use of US-provided longer-range ATACMS missiles by Ukraine.   

Meanwhile, Ukraine shot down dozens of Russian drones targeting regions across the country. On the other side, Russia said it had destroyed 34 Ukrainian drones over the Russian Kursk region next to Ukraine. 

Here's a roundup of the developments in Russia's war in Ukraine on Sunday, November 24:  

11/24/2024November 24, 2024

Russia says it repelled Ukrainian drones over Kursk region

Russia said it repelled an overnight Ukrainian drone attack.

In a post on Telegram, the Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 34 Ukrainian drones, 27 of which were flying over Russia's Kursk region.  

The governor of Kursk said earlier that "two Ukrainian missiles" had been intercepted overnight over Kursk, which borders Ukraine.    

Ukrainian troops launched an incursion into the Kursk region in August to put Russia on the defensive.

A Ukrainian military source told Reuters that Ukraine has lost over 40% of the land it had taken in the Kursk region. The source said Ukraine had once controlled about 1,376 square kilometers (531 square miles) in Kursk, but now controls approximately 800 square kilometers of Russian territory. 

11/24/2024November 24, 2024

Ukraine's Zelenskyy urges better air defenses after Russian drone attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for better defenses after Russia carried out another massive drone attack early Sunday. 

"Just last night, our defense forces managed to shoot down nearly 50 strike drones," Zelenskyy said on Telegram. He added that, in the past week, Russia has launched more than 800 guided aerial bombs, about 460 strike drones, and over 20 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

The overnight drone attack targeted Kyiv and other parts of the country. Russia frequently carries out attacks with Iran-supplied Shahed drones in the early hours of the morning. 

"Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state," Zelenskyy said. He emphasized that "strengthening the protection of our skies is absolutely critical."  

Shortly after the Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022, Zelenskyy pushed for the NATO alliance to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The US, Canada and some other countries had ruled out the no-fly zone due to the risk of a direct conflict between the West and Russia.  

11/24/2024November 24, 2024

French foreign minister backs longer-range weapon use by Ukraine

Barrot has suggested that NATO could invite Ukraine to join the alliance, a longtime wish of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Image: Omar Havana/AP/dpa/picture alliance

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC that Ukraine may launch French longer-range missiles into Russia "in the logics of self-defense."

He did not, however, reveal whether Ukraine had already used French-provided longer-range weapons on Russian targets. However, the French Scalp missiles are the same as the UK Storm Shadow missiles, which Ukraine has already fired into Russia.

Barrot said there were no "red lines" when it comes to backing Ukraine. He added that French messages to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "have been well received."    

"We will support Ukraine as intensely and as long as necessary. Why? Because it is our security that is at stake. Each time the Russian army progresses by one square kilometer, the threat gets one square kilometer closer to Europe," Barrot said. He did not definitively rule out the deployment of French troops in Ukrainian combat zones. 

Russian Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova derided Barrot's comments regarding longer-range missiles. She said French permission for the use of the weapons is "not support for Ukraine, but rather a death knell for Ukraine."     

The remarks by France's foreign minister come after US President Joe Biden greenlit the use of long-range ATACMS missiles by Ukraine, which have a range of 300 kilometers (190 miles). Soon thereafter, Russia accused Ukraine of firing the ATACMS missiles into the western Russian Bryansk region next to Belarus.  

Earlier this week, British media reported that Ukraine had fired Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia's Kursk region. Developed in cooperation with France, the Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missiles can hit targets as far as 250 kilometers (155 miles) away.   

Although some Western countries back the use of longer-range weapons by Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly shied away from sending longer-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, due to fears of escalation and lack of support for such a move among the German population. Taurus missiles have a maximum range of 500 kilometers (300 miles).

wd/ab (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)