Macron states that SAMP/T air defense system already deployed on territory of Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the SAMP/T anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system of Franco-Italian production has already entered combat duty in Ukraine.

The French leader made the corresponding statement at the air show in Le Bourget, his words are quoted by Rai News.

"I am happy to announce together with my Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, that the Franco-Italian SAMP/T is now deployed and operational in Ukraine, where it protects key facilities and lives," Macron said.

SAMP/T (from the French Famille de Sol-Air Futurs Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre) is an anti-aircraft missile system jointly developed by France and Italy. The complex is designed to protect the territory from aircraft (from 3 to 100 kilometers) and cruise and ballistic missiles (from 3 to 25 kilometers).

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in January 2023, the media reported that the Italian authorities had decided to hand over the SAMP/T complex to Ukraine after U.S. President Joe Biden called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

It will be recalled that on March 20, the Italian mass media reported that the training of Ukrainian military personnel, who will manage the SAMP/T complex after its delivery to Ukraine, has been completed in Italy.