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Germany Allocates €5 Billion Military Package to Ukraine

by Roman Cheplyk
Friday, May 30, 2025
2 MIN
Germany Allocates €5 Billion Military Package to Ukraine

Funding covers long-range drone production, additional IRIS-T air-defence systems, and in-country repair of Gepard units

1. Package Breakdown

Allocation Supplier / Programme Indicative Value
Long-range drones (“Bars,” An-196 “Feb,” Flamingo) Ukrainian production, financed by Germany ≈ €400 m
Four IRIS-T SLM batteries Diehl Defence n/a (included in total)
Equipment overhaul (Gepard and other assets) KNDS, repair to be carried out inside Ukraine n/a (included in total)
Miscellaneous weapons & munitions Various Balance of funds

Total envelope: ≈ €5 billion


2. Long-Range Drone Initiative

  • An-196 “Feb”: operational range up to 600 km.

  • “Bars” missile-drone: range up to 800 km.

  • Flamingo UAV: tactical reconnaissance/strike variant.

  • German MoD approval positions Ukraine to scale domestic manufacture; contracts being finalised with Ukrainian drone integrators.


3. Air-Defence Expansion

  • Four IRIS-T SLM systems to augment existing German-supplied batteries.

  • Delivery schedule under negotiation; missiles funded from the same €5 billion line.


4. Localised Repair & Sustainment

  • KNDS awarded framework to refurbish Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns on Ukrainian soil, reducing turnaround times and building local MRO capacity.

  • Additional platforms may be added as the scheme matures.


5. Open Items

  • Taurus cruise missiles (500–600 km range): Berlin maintains its current position of non-transfer; discussions remain on hold.


6. Context

  • Package follows successive aid tranches delivered in April and May, which included IRIS-T missiles, Zuzana-2 artillery, armoured vehicles, drones, and engineering equipment.

  • Separate bilateral agreement, signed by Defence Ministers Rustem Umerov and Boris Pistorius, provides financing for Ukrainian-built long-range weapon systems.


Implication: The latest German commitment deepens industrial cooperation, bolsters Ukraine’s strategic-range strike capability, and embeds maintenance activities within Ukrainian territory—an incremental but significant step in sustaining Kyiv’s combat power.

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