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Germany Sends 200,000 Rounds for Ukraine’s Gepard Guns—Enough to Down Thousands of Drones
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Germany has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, which includes a massive shipment of ammunition for Gepard air defense systems, according to a statement from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry following the 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the “Ramstein” format, on July 21.
As part of the package, Berlin will deliver over 200,000 rounds of 35mm ammunition for the German-made Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns—systems that have become crucial in defending Ukrainian cities from Iranian-designed Shahed drones and Russian cruise missiles.
“These systems play a key role in shielding Ukrainian urban areas from drone and missile threats,” the ministry noted.
In addition to the ammunition, Germany will also finance the production of Ukrainian-developed long-range strike drones.
This is not Germany’s first contribution of Gepard munitions, but the scale of the new delivery is among the largest to date.
With over 110 Gepard systems now in Ukrainian service—including Dutch “Cheetah” variants supplied via the US and Jordan—keeping them stocked is a top priority. Each Gepard carries 640 rounds, meaning 200,000 shells could reload the entire fleet nearly three times over.
The twin 35mm Oerlikon cannons on each Gepard can fire up to 1,100 rounds per minute, but Ukrainian operators report that destroying a Shahed drone often requires only brief bursts of 7 to 11 rounds, according to Ukrainian defense media outlet Defence Express.
Even when accounting for higher average usage—20 to 30 rounds per target—the new shipment could enable the downing of thousands of drones, especially given the Gepard’s high hit probability.
The systems are also occasionally used against Russian cruise missiles, which may require heavier fire, and Ukrainian forces report that Russia has recently increased the flight altitude of Shahed drones to over 1.5 kilometers.
Nonetheless, the Gepard is capable of targeting aerial threats at altitudes up to 3 kilometers, keeping it effective even under changing conditions.
Germany’s support builds on Ukraine’s parallel efforts to procure ammunition directly from German defense giant Rheinmetall, which continues to produce 35mm rounds for the Gepard.
Earlier, the German defense company Rheinmetall secured a contract to supply Ukraine with an additional 180,000 35mm HEI-T (high-explosive incendiary with tracer) rounds for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems.
