Germany plans to boost Ukraine's air defense capabilities this winter by providing Kyiv with a promised military aid package worth about €1 billion, including an additional Patriot system to protect critical infrastructure.
Source. Bloomberg reports.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government will also provide two more promised IRIS-T air defense systems this month, along with guided missiles, the Defense Ministry said in an emailed statement Tuesday.
The package includes an additional 10 Leopard A1 battle tanks, three more Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and deliveries of 155mm ammunition in the coming weeks.
"Thanks to this new 'winter package' we are further increasing the operational readiness of the Ukrainian armed forces," Defense Minister Borys Pistorius said before a meeting with NATO counterparts in Brussels on Wednesday.
As the newspaper notes, Germany has already provided billions of euros in financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and sent a wide range of military equipment, including armored infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard battle tanks and self-propelled howitzers.
Background. Earlier it was reported that Olaf Scholz postponed the delivery of Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv. Germany's coalition government approved the delivery of Taurus in principle, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz slowed down this step.