Germany to supply Ukraine with Sidewinder missiles to boost air defence

Germany plans to supply Ukraine with Sidewinder missiles from Bundeswehr reserves to reinforce the country’s air defence, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said.

As reported by European Pravda, Pistorius made the announcement at the opening of a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

He recalled that Germany had already delivered two Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, as well as a ninth IRIS-T air defence system, partially supported by Norway.

Looking ahead, the minister stressed that Germany intends next year to transfer a significant number of Sidewinder missiles from its own stockpiles to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities.

Sidewinder missiles are air-to-air weapons that can be launched from fighter jets or helicopters to engage aircraft and drones.

The United States has previously supplied these missiles to Ukraine, where they were modified by specialists for surface-to-air use as part of the country’s air defence system.

By Tamilla Hasanova