Germany has provided Ukraine with a new package of military assistance, including IRIS-T air defense systems and missiles for Patriots, according to an updated list released by the German government on April 17.
While some German systems have earned praise in Ukraine, others have proven ill-suited for the rigors of high-intensity war, Spiegel reports.
"The signed agreement paves the way for large industrial projects that will strengthen the capabilities of Ukraine's air defense," said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Berlin supplied Ukraine with 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, one short-range and one medium-range IRIS-T air defense system with missiles, two Patriot air defense launchers, and other aid in the latest delivery, the German government said on Dec. 23.
The provision of HAWK, NASAMS, and IRIS-T batteries will help avert blackouts, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said as Ukraine braces for fresh attacks in the third winter of the full-scale war.
"The next IRIS-T SLM (medium-range) and SLS (short-range) systems should arrive in Ukraine in the coming days and weeks, before Christmas," Major General Christian Freuding, head of the Bundeswehr's Situation Center Ukraine, told journalists in Kyiv on Nov. 25.
Key developments on Nov. 13: * Trump to appoint Ukrainian peace envoy 'soon' to lead talks on ending war with Russia, Fox News reports * 6th German IRIS-T to arrive in Ukraine by end of 2024, Zelensky says * Putin cuts payments for wounded in war against Ukraine * Military donations in Ukraine plummet
Ukraine will receive the sixth German IRIS-T air defense system by the end of the year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 13 after a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Germany for its support but highlighted the importance of German assistance next year and the need for it to remain unchanged.
Key developments on Oct. 9: * Russian weapons depot storing North Korean shells, missiles set ablaze after drone attack, Ukraine's military reports * Ramstein-format meeting postponed after Biden cancels foreign visits * Battlefield situation calls for decisive action to end war in 2025, Zelensky says * Two more IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems arrive in Ukraine
Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S.
Ukraine's continued requests to Western allies for more air defenses were answered in part this week, with the announcement that Germany has ordered an additional 17 IRIS-T air defense systems for Kyiv. And the timing couldn't be more critical – an ongoing campaign of aerial strikes on Kharkiv, devastating attacks like
The new 17 units will be sent to Ukraine on top of the seven other systems that have already been delivered. Ukraine can expect to receive four more IRIS-T systems of different ranges by the end of 2024, government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner said in August.
German government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner said that the latest pledged aid was evidence that "there is no message from the government that support (for Ukraine) will be reduced or limited in some other way.
This is the third IRIS-T SLS battery Germany has delivered to Ukraine. The SLS is a short-range variant with an operational range of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).
The factory, which belongs to Diehl Metal Applications, a subsidiary of the Diehl group that manufactures IRIS-T air defense systems used by Ukraine, caught on fire in May, resulting in the destruction of much of the building.
"We have once again delivered Iris-T SLM and Iris-T SLS combined fire unit to Ukraine – a highly modern and well-proven medium and short-range air defense system, directly from German industry production," Boris Pistorius said.
Berlin will provide Kyiv with another IRIS-T air defense system in May, German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jager said on May 13.
Over March and April, Russian airpower launched a new wave of mass attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Energy generating facilities, in particular coal-fired and hydroelectric power plants, have come under the heaviest attacks. For the first time, Russia destroyed or damaged several of Ukraine's biggest power stations, including the
Robert Habeck, who is also Germany's economy and environment minister, was accompanied by Helmut Rauch, the head of Germany's Diehl Defense company that manufactures IRIS-T air defense systems.
(Updated: )
