0 out of 25,000

Quality journalism takes work — and a community that cares.
Help us reach 25,000 members by the end of 2025.

News Feed

Ukraine to receive another 180,000 rounds of ammunition for Gepard systems from Germany

1 min read
Ukraine to receive another 180,000 rounds of ammunition for Gepard systems from Germany
Ukrainian service members training on Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles in July 2023. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine's Defense Ministry has ordered another 180,000 rounds of 35 mm ammunition for self-propelled Gepard anti-aircraft guns from the German Rheinmetall arms manufacturer, the company announced on Jan. 6.

The order for a new batch of rounds of HEI-T ammunition (High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer) was booked in December 2024 and is funded by the German government. The start of delivery is expected in 2026, according to Rheinmetall.

Berlin sent 55 Gepards to Ukraine, which had been decommissioned by Germany's Armed Forces.

"They have proven their value in air defense for more than two years," the statement read.

The Gepard, a German-designed weapon first introduced into service in the 1970s, was designed for use against planes and helicopters. It is also seen as highly effective against drones, including the Shahed-type ones, which Russia uses in daily attacks against Ukraine.

Initially criticized for its sluggish delivery of military aid to Ukraine following the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Berlin has become the second-largest provider of military equipment after the U.S.

Scholz denies claims that he could meet with Putin in Russia
Avatar
Kateryna Denisova

Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, covering Ukrainian domestic politics and social issues. She joined the newsroom in 2024 as a news editor following four years at the NV media outlet. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She was also a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Read more
News Feed
Video

Pokrovsk, a city that held back some of Russia’s fiercest assaults for over a year, is now on the verge of falling. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell explains how the battle reached this point and what Pokrovsk’s fall could mean for the wider defense of Donetsk Oblast.

Show More