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Germany pledges IRIS-T air defenses, tanks, shells in new aid package for Ukraine

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Germany pledges IRIS-T air defenses, tanks, shells in new aid package for Ukraine
Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius makes a statement at the start of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels on April 11, 2025. (John Thys / AFP via Getty Images)

Germany will provide four IRIS-T air defense systems, 15 Leopard 1 tanks, reconnaissance drones, and 100,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on April 11, according to N-tv.

Pistorius said Germany plans to send more IRIS-T systems in the coming years and confirmed the upcoming delivery of 1,100 additional ground surveillance radars.

The German assistance is also to include 120 MANPADS launchers, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and 14 artillery pieces. Pistorius also confirmed that 30 Patriot air defense missiles have already been delivered, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

The announcement coincided with a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels, co-chaired by the U.K. and Germany.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to participate via video link.

Germany remains one of Ukraine's top military donors in Europe. On March 19, the German Finance Ministry confirmed that an additional 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) would be allocated to Ukraine on top of the 4 billion euros ($4.36 billion) already earmarked for 2025.

Berlin's latest package underscores continued European military backing for Kyiv amid growing uncertainty over U.S. commitments.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

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Tim Zadorozhnyy is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. He studied International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University and Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022 as a reporter for a local television channel. He later spent a year and a half at the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, first as a news anchor and later as a managing editor. He is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

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