Germany declares fresh army assistance bundle for Ukraine
(MENAFN) Germany has rolled out a new military aid package for Ukraine that includes armored vehicles, air-defense missiles, and artillery systems. The announcement comes shortly after incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz hinted at the possibility of providing long-range missiles to Kiev—a move that prompted warnings from Moscow.
The German government released an updated inventory of military support delivered to Ukraine, noting that it has committed approximately €28 billion ($29.9 billion) in total aid since the outbreak of the conflict in February 2022. Of that, around €5.2 billion ($5.9 billion) worth of supplies were drawn from the German military’s own reserves.
Germany also revealed that it has trained over 10,000 Ukrainian troops on its soil during this period.
The latest shipment includes Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, ammunition for Leopard 2 tanks, Gepard anti-aircraft systems, and IRIS-T SLM air-defense missiles. Germany has also delivered Zuzana 2 howitzers, 155mm and 122mm shells, reconnaissance and combat drones, as well as anti-tank weapons and assault rifles.
At a Ukraine Contact Group meeting in Brussels, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius disclosed future donations planned for 2025. These include four IRIS-T air defense systems, 300 guided missiles, 100 surveillance radars, 100,000 artillery shells, 300 drones, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, and 120 man-portable air-defense systems.
Merz, set to officially become chancellor on May 6, recently indicated he may approve the delivery of Taurus long-range cruise missiles, which can reach up to 500 km. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has consistently rejected Ukraine’s requests for these weapons due to fears of escalating the war.
Matthias Miersch, a leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD)—which is forming a coalition government with Merz’s Christian Democrats—expressed optimism that Merz might change his stance after reviewing classified briefings from intelligence agencies.
In response to Merz’s comments, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that any missile strike involving German assistance on Russian infrastructure would be interpreted as Germany directly entering the conflict.
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