Germany to supply 45 Gepard anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine by year end

Germany, in cooperation with the United States, intends to transfer another 45 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine by the end of the year to strengthen its air defence.

Brigadier General Christian Freuding, Head of the Special Staff Ukraine at the German Federal Ministry of Defence revealed it in an interview with Welt am Sonntag, Ukrainska Pravda reports.

According to the newspaper, Germany has already transferred 34 Gepard systems to Ukraine, and another 15 will be delivered in the coming weeks.

"In addition, we want to deliver up to 30 more Gepard systems by the end of the year in cooperation with the United States," Freuding said.

In an interview with Welt am Sonntag, the Bundeswehr brigadier general said that he considers air defence a key weak point in the current counteroffensive of the Ukrainian army.

"We're doing everything we can. But despite all this, does Ukraine have sufficient missile defence? Definitely not!" Freuding said.

He also recalled that by the end of 2023 Germany will provide Ukraine with two more IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems, which have "almost 100 percent accuracy," and four more next year.

Earlier it was revealed that the American company Global Military Products had been awarded a contract from the Pentagon for more than USD $118 million for the purchase and supply of Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems for Ukraine.