Seven months after the agreement was reached, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received newly produced ammunition for the German Gepard anti-aircraft tank.
The German Ministry of Defense reported this on its website, Ukrinform reported.
The construction of an industrial line for the production of ammunition was carried out in record time, the report says. The number of ammunition handed over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces is not specified, only that it is ‘five-digit’.
“The war in Ukraine reminds us almost every day that the defense of our country depends on air defense and sufficient ammunition. With the resumption of production of ammunition for Gepard, we are focusing on these two most important aspects,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
He emphasized that Germany has once again shown that it can be relied on. According to him, Germany will continue to support Ukraine in those areas that are Germany’s strengths, namely artillery, ammunition and ground-based air defense.
As reported, in February 2023, the German Minister of Defense said at a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defense in Brussels that the Federal Ministry of Defense had placed an order for ammunition from Rheinmetall AG in Germany.
Previously, the ammunition was produced in Switzerland, but that country has repeatedly refused to supply Ukraine with military goods, citing its neutrality.
The contract, signed in February, with a budget of 168 million euros, provides for the supply of a total of 300,000 rounds of ammunition. To do this, it was necessary to resume production, which had long been suspended in Germany. Despite the complex process, the first ammunition was delivered to Ukraine almost seven months after the contract was signed.
To date, Germany has delivered 46 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Kyiv, with plans for six more. They are used to combat air targets such as aircraft or guided missiles.
Source: Ukraine receives newly produced ammunition from Germany
