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Updated. Germany Unveils Latest Military Aid Package to Ukraine, Including IRIS-T Air Defense Missiles

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Liubava Petriv
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Updated. Germany Unveils Latest Military Aid Package to Ukraine, Including IRIS-T Air Defense Missiles
A view of Leopard 2 tanks on the production line at a new munitions factory of German defense contractor Rheinmetall in Unterluess, Germany, on February 12, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

UPD: German Aid to Ukraine, an account on X, tracking Germany’s assistance for Ukraine, has refuted widespread media reports claiming that Germany provided Ukraine with a new military aid package this week, calling them the result of a misunderstanding tied to website updates.

In a statement posted on social media, they explained that several media outlets incorrectly interpreted a routine change to the federal government’s website as an announcement of fresh military deliveries to Ukraine. The confusion stemmed from an updated publication date, May 6, on a preexisting list of military support items.

Germany provided a new military aid package to Ukraine, including advanced air defense missiles for the IRIS-T systems. The updated list of weapons and equipment supplied by Germany was published on the German government’s website on May 6.

The package includes air defense missiles for the IRIS-T SLM system, ammunition for Leopard 2 tanks, and 66 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles designed to operate in areas with high mine risk.

Other equipment included in the new assistance package is:

  • An undisclosed number of ammunition for Leopard 2 tanks;

  • Approximately 40,000 shells for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG);

  • 27,000 155mm artillery shells;

  • 1,000 122mm artillery shells;

  • 70 VECTOR reconnaissance drones and spare parts;

  • 150 HF-1 drones;

  • 20 ground-based unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs);

  • 6 Bergepanzer-2 armored evacuation vehicles and spare parts;

  • 4 WISENT-1 demining vehicles and spare parts;

  • 2 mine-clearing plows;

  • 41 ground-based radar surveillance systems;

  • 917 RGW 90 anti-tank weapons;

  • G3 assault rifles;

  • 800 MK 556 assault rifles.

In addition to the military hardware, the aid package includes medical tourniquets, sleeping bags, laser rangefinders, infrared binoculars, vehicles for border guards, and diving scooters.

Previously, it was reported that Germany’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, called for all European Union members to increase defense spending in order to address the bloc’s capability gaps and ensure continued support for Ukraine.

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