Germany confirms second delivery of IRIS-T system to Ukraine

Germany has confirmed the delivery of the second IRIS-T surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine in an April 30 update to its military aid list.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on April 19 that Germany delivered the second out of four systems to Ukraine.

The second system was delivered "around April 16," Spiegel reported, citing its sources.

Germany also provided Ukraine with eight Zetros off-road trucks for extreme operations and two load-handling trucks with eight roll-off containers, the government said.

The remaining two IRIS-T are supposed to be sent by early 2024, but they reportedly have to be built first. Kyiv has asked Berlin for more IRIS-T systems, as Ukraine's own Soviet-era air defense systems rely on a finite ammount of ammunition.

The first Germany-provided IRIS-T proved itself well in winter when protecting Kyiv's civilian infrastructure from regular Russian missile strikes and drone attacks.

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko told Spiegel that the IRIS-T system saved "thousands of lives" during these Russian attacks.

Anti-aircraft missiles used in these IRIS-T systems can hit targets at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers and a distance of up to 40 kilometers.

On April 18, the German government reported delivering an American-made Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. The U.S. and the Netherlands have also handed over the Patriots they earlier pledged to Kyiv.

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Kyiv IndependentStanislav Storozhenko