Germany has supplied a new IRIS-T SLS air defense missile system, 14,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition, 10 naval drones, and other equipment in its latest military aid delivery to Ukraine, the German government said on Aug. 19.
This is the third IRIS-T SLS battery Germany has delivered to Kyiv. The SLS is a short-range variant with an operational range of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).
Berlin also said it had provided four medium-range IRIS-T SLM versions, which can fire missiles as far as 40 kilometers (25 miles).
The latest shipment also includes 26 Vector reconnaissance drones with spare parts, six highly mobile engineering excavators, one Bergepanzer 2 armored repair and recovery vehicle with spare parts, materials for explosive ordnance disposal, 55,000 first aid kits, 700 MK 556 assault rifles, 10 HLR 338 high-precision rifles with ammunition, and 50 CR 308 rifles.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Germany has provided or committed to future years of military assistance worth approximately 28 billion euros ($31 billion).
Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin became Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S., although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is still reluctant to supply some key capabilities, namely Taurus long-range missiles.
Recent media reports said that the German Finance Ministry is not planning to approve additional aid to Ukraine as part of budgetary savings this year. Both Kyiv and Berlin refuted that Germany would be cutting military aid to Ukraine.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
