Macron announces delivery of missile interceptors to Ukraine as Russia recalls its ambassador from Britain

French President Emmanuel Macron said on X that Paris will provide new missile-interceptor systems to Ukraine as Russia intensifies its air campaign against Kyiv. He expressed strong dismay at a recent Russian drone attack on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih that killed at least 16 people and pledged to strengthen French support for Kyiv's air defences.

In a separate development, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the recall of Russia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrey Kelin, who had served for more than seven years. The ambassador left his post on 21 July and Moscow has not announced a replacement, signalling a further diplomatic rift.

Putin accused Britain of pursuing a "path of confrontation" and warned that Ukraine's recent strikes on Russian economic targets had "opened Pandora's box," suggesting a response against what he described as Ukraine's most sensitive sectors. Ukrainian officials have condemned the mall attack as a terrorist act and vowed a firm response.

The United Kingdom reiterated its full support for Ukraine, despite Russian threats over alleged British drone usage in strikes inside Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities opened a criminal investigation into the director of the Kryvyi Rih mall for allegedly keeping the facility open during an air-raid alert.