Contents tagged with Germany

  • Germany to fund $500 million aid package for Ukraine

    Germany will finance one of the first comprehensive aid packages for Kyiv totaling up to $500 million (€427 million) under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism.

    The announcement was made on Wednesday, August 13, by Germany’s Foreign Ministry.

    The package covers military items either not produced by Europe’s defense industry or available more quickly from the United States than from European partners or Canada. These include, for example, critical air defense systems …

  • German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to double 155mm shell production in Ukraine

    The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is gearing up to double its annual capacity at a newly constructed ammo production plant in Ukraine. Designed to manufacture up to 300,000 155-mm artillery shells annually, this strategic expansion is part of Kyiv’s broader initiative to lessen its dependency on Western allies while enhancing domestic capabilities, reports the website German Aid to Ukraine, citing Rheinmetall chief Armin Papperger.

    Initially, the site was slated to produce 150,000 …

  • Germany faces constraints in supplying more patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine, says Defense Minister

    Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has stated that Berlin cannot send more Patriot air-defense systems to Kyiv due to a lack of its own stockpiles. The German military has already supplied Ukraine with three out of its 12 available Patriot systems, leaving “only six” in the Bundeswehr's arsenal. "We only have six left in Germany. That is really too few, especially given the NATO goals we need to achieve. We definitely cannot provide more," Pistorius said in an interview with the …

  • Ukraine to receive German-funded long-range missiles

    Ukraine is set to receive its first shipent of long-range missiles financed by Germany, according to Major General Christian Freuding, head of the special task force for Ukraine in the Bundestag. Germany is allocating significant funds toward Ukraine's procurement of these advanced missiles. During a broadcast on ZDF, Freuding underscored the heightened military tension in Ukraine, with Russian forces maintaining battlefield initiative for weeks, if not months.

    The situation continues to …

  • Germany ramps up efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air defense amid Russian attacks

    In response to ongoing, large-scale Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, Germany is intensifying its efforts to bolster Ukraine's air defense systems. On Wednesday, July 9, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in the Bundestag that he is optimistic about collaborating with the United States in this effort. Merz emphasized his intention to negotiate "arrangements" with the U.S. administration to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems.

    "Our aid to Ukraine won't falter due to financial …

  • Ukraine submits multi-billion euro weapons wish list to Germany amid ongoing Russian aggression

    In a bid to bolster its defense against Russian aggression, Ukraine has submitted a list of desired weapons to Germany, with the total cost running into several billion euros, according to a report by the German newspaper Bild. The list, which has been kept confidential, spans three categories: air defense systems, protected transportation vehicles, and electronic warfare (EW) equipment. Specifically, it includes a request for four new Iris-T surface-to-air defense systems. Ukraine is also …

  • Germany and Ukraine strengthen defense collaboration to counter Russian threats

    Germany and Ukraine are planning to bolster their cooperation in the defense sector, according to Johann Wadephul, Germany's Foreign Minister, during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on Monday, June 30. This marks a "logical continuation" of Germany’s military assistance to Kyiv. According to Wadephul, both countries can benefit from defense cooperation. Germany stands to gain from a wide array of ideas and expertise from the Ukrainians in defense matters.

    As part …

  • German Chancellor Merz rejects dialogue with Putin, citing ineffectiveness in resolving Ukraine conflict

    Germany’s Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has stated he’s not planning to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin anytime soon, marking a shift from previous leadership approaches. Merz believes direct talks with Putin hold little promise and aims not to repeat his predecessor's missteps. According to DW, past interactions with Putin have failed to ease tensions surrounding the Ukraine conflict.

    In an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung, Merz pointed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's …

  • German fighter jets intercept Russian reconnaissance aircraft over Baltic Sea

    On the morning of June 27, two German Air Force Eurofighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft (NATO reporting name: Coot-A) with registration RF-95979 over the Baltic Sea. According to a report by Bild, the Russian plane departed from Kaliningrad without transmitting a transponder signal, radio communication, or an electronic flight plan, flying westward toward Polish and German airspace.

    The NATO radar systems detected the Il-20M at 09:02 AM (10:02 Moscow time).

    At 09: …

  • Suspected sabotage: German military trucks destined for Ukraine torched, raising tensions with Russia

    In a possible act of sabotage benefiting Russia, German military trucks were reportedly set on fire over the weekend, according to pro-Russian Telegram channels. The trucks were allegedly about to be decommissioned and donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

    A video posted by the Telegram channel "Crazy about War", shows at least five torched vehicles. Some of these vehicles appear to belong to the German Armed Forces, recognizable by their military license plates and Bundeswehr crosses on …