Germany-funded long-range weapons to arrive in Ukraine by late July, general says
Ukraine will begin receiving hundreds of domestically produced long-range weapon systems by the end of July under a German-financed agreement, German Major General Christian Freuding told the German ZDF news channel on July 11.
The weapons will be supplied in a "high triple-digit quantity," he said, referring to a deal between Ukraine's Defense Ministry and local arms producers that Berlin agreed to fund in late May.
"We need weapons systems that can reach far into the depth of Russian territory — to hit depots, command centers, airfields and aircraft," Freuding said, adding that Germany is "ready to provide such systems."
The general, who heads the Ukraine task force at the German Defense Ministry, did not specify what kind of long-range systems Germany is financing.
Ukraine is developing a number of long-range capabilities, including ballistic missiles, long-range drones, and drone-missile hybrids to strike deep inside the Russian rear amid dwindling stockpiles of Western long-range weapons.
The Ukrainian military has previously received the Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles from the U.K. and France and ATACMS from the U.S., but Germany has so far refused to supply its own Taurus cruise missiles.
Freuding did not confirm whether Berlin plans to greenlight the supply of Taurus missiles when asked by the reporter.
The general, who spoke from Kyiv, acknowledged that the battlefield situation remains "militarily tense," with Russian forces holding the initiative for "several weeks, if not months," and increased pressure on major Ukrainian cities from the air.
The general also said Germany is in ongoing negotiations with the United States over the potential purchase and transfer of one or two Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, describing talks as "ongoing for weeks at all levels."
Ukraine has been calling on its partners to enhance its air defence capabilities, as Russia has escalated its large-scale aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities, including those far from the front line.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 28 that Berlin would help finance the production and procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems.
Merz made the comments during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin, where he also announced support for continuing Starlink satellite operations in Ukraine.
"There will be no restrictions on long-range weapons," Merz said at the time. "Ukraine will be able to fully defend itself and also strike military targets outside the territory of Ukraine."
Merz described the deal as "the beginning of a new form of military-industrial cooperation between our countries."