After a stalemate over the delivery of the "Gepard" anti-aircraft tanks for Ukraine, the first units have arrived there. The Ukrainian defense minister announced that several tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition had also been handed over.
Ukraine has received the first Gepard anti-aircraft tanks from Germany. "Today the first three 'cheetahs' officially arrived," Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Ukrainian television. Several tens of thousands of shots were also handed over. Twelve more "Gepard" tanks are expected. The delivery is based on an agreement with Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht in May. Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion since late February and has repeatedly urged to strengthen its own air defenses.
It is the second delivery of heavy weapons that Germany hands over to Ukraine. In June, the German government had already delivered heavy artillery pieces to Ukraine in the form of the Panzerhaubitze 2000. The Panzerhaubitze is the Bundeswehr's most modern artillery piece with a range of 40 kilometers. At that time, Ukraine received a total of seven guns.
In addition to the "cheetahs," Ukraine is primarily waiting for the modern IRIS-T air defense systems from Germany. These should better protect the country from Russian missile attacks. However, the arrival of the IRIS-T is reportedly scheduled for the autumn.
In Germany, the delivery of battle tanks and armored personnel carriers to the Ukraine is currently being discussed. So far, the direct delivery of these has not been an option for the federal government. From the ranks of the Greens and the FDP, however, corresponding demands have now come because there are problems with the so-called ring exchange for the supply of Ukraine with heavy weapons. The idea of ring exchange arose shortly after the start of the war. To this end, Eastern NATO partners should provide weapons of Soviet design that Ukrainian soldiers can handle without additional training. As a replacement, they were to receive western makes from alliance partners such as Germany.
In May, Defense Minister Lambrecht and her Ukrainian counterpart agreed that Ukraine should receive the first 15 "Gepard" anti-aircraft gun tanks from German industry stocks in July. After a struggle for the delivery of heavy weapons, the manufacturer Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann had received the political green light from the federal government to sell the technically refurbished anti-aircraft tanks from former Bundeswehr stocks. The "cheetah" can also be used in the fight against ground targets.
