Germany will contribute to strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, in particular by providing Ukraine with five Patriot systems and ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft systems, as well as financing Ukrainian production of long-range drones to support Ukraine’s offensive capabilities.
This was stated by Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defense, who spoke at a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine, according to a correspondent for Ukrinform.
“I agreed with [US Defense Secretary] Pete Hegseth during my trip to Washington last week that Germany will contribute to the fastest possible delivery of five urgently needed Patriot systems,” Pistorius said.
The partners will coordinate their actions “closely and in a spirit of mutual trust” over the next few days to organize this process, the minister added.
“I would like to thank the commander of NATO forces in Europe for his support in successful coordination,” Pistorius said.
He also thanked Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway for their significant contributions to this process.
“Only a few weeks after the relaunch of the initiative, there are already signs that we can significantly surpass the successes of last year,” the German defense minister said.
In addition, he said that Germany, together with the United Kingdom, would provide “220,000 rounds of 35 mm ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft gun systems at short notice and at Germany’s expense to protect Ukraine’s skies.”
Pistorius stressed that Germany also intends to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their offensive efforts to weaken Russia’s capabilities in the air.
“That is why we are financing the comprehensive procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range drones. These systems are already proving their worth on the battlefield. They destroy Russian aircraft, drones, and missiles on the ground long before they can pose a threat to Ukraine, its cities, or its infrastructure,” the minister emphasized.
“The first systems financed by Germany will be delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the coming days and will be ready for immediate use,” said the German Defense Minister. “And we intend to further strengthen this capacity by providing additional investments and organizing close technical cooperation between the German and Ukrainian defense industries.”
“This is a clear signal to Putin. Prolonging the war will become increasingly costly. Ukraine will continue to successfully resist Putin’s military machine and weaken it every day. It is our duty to actively support our Ukrainian friends in this regard,” emphasized Pistorius, who believes that Vladimir Putin is mistaken if he thinks he will win in the long run.
“Together, we must stop his military machine by joining forces,” the minister concluded.
As reported, on July 21, another meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine is taking place.
This time, the meeting is organized in the format of an online conference.
Source: Germany to provide Ukraine five Patriot systems, fund long‑range drones – Pistorius
