German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday announced a new weapons package – including missiles, artillery, drones and spare parts – worth €500 million ($542 million) to support Ukraine during a visit to the port city of Odessa.
“We will continue to support you in this defensive campaign,” Pistorius said during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in the Black Sea city on Thursday evening.
Pistorius said some of the materials were already about to be delivered.
The new package from Germany includes a large number of missiles for IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense systems and a smaller number of shorter-range SLS missiles.
It also includes drones for reconnaissance and combat in the Black Sea, as well as urgently needed spare parts such as replacement barrels for German-supplied artillery systems and replacement engines for Leopard battle tanks.
One million rounds of small arms ammunition will also be made available.
The delivery of 18 modern wheeled howitzers will follow from 2025.
Germany will also finance industrial training for Ukrainian technicians. The package also includes financing for interference-free satellite communications.
Based on previous commitments from Berlin, more Leopard A1 and Leopard II A4 main battle tanks will be delivered from Spain this year. A total of 19 tanks will be made available to Ukraine from Spain, with Germany contributing 1 million euros to the restoration, maintenance and repair of each tank.
Work is also already underway from Germany on additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles, armored fighting vehicles, anti-aircraft tanks and equipment for command and control capabilities in the field of electronic warfare.
Details of the German minister’s visit were kept secret before his arrival for security reasons. It was Pistorius’ third visit since the large-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022.
The visit comes amid the advance of Russian troops in parts of Ukraine and heavy Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. Kiev is particularly struggling to stop the Russian offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Umerov emphasized the importance of further arms supplies by allies.
“Our partners must provide us with weapons so that we can push the enemy back behind (Ukraine’s) internationally recognized borders,” he said.