Germany hands over short-range variation of IRIS-T system to Ukraine
The German government has updated information on military assistance provided to Ukraine, reporting, among other things, on the transfer of an IRIS-T SLS air defence system to Ukraine.
The amendments indicate that the latest batch of aid for Ukraine includes:
- An IRIS-T SLS anti-aircraft missile system;
- 14,000 155-mm artillery rounds;
- 10 surface drones;
- 26 VECTOR reconnaissance drones with spare parts;
- explosive ordnance disposal equipment;
- 6 highly mobile engineering excavators;
- Bergepanzer 2 armoured repair and recovery vehicle with spare parts;
- 55,000 first aid kits;
- 700 MK 556 assault rifles;
- 10 HLR 338 high-precision rifles with ammunition;
- 50 CR 308 assault rifles.
On 17 August, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported that the current budget planning by the German federal government does not include provisions for further funding to support Ukraine.
At Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s request, no further applications from Germany's Federal Defence Ministry for military assistance to Ukraine will be approved.
At the same time, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated that these reports were incorrect and manipulative.
Oleksii Makieiev, Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, warned that Germany's costs would be much higher if Ukraine loses the war against Russia.