First German air defence systems arrive in Ukraine amid Russian war

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced that the first Gepard air defence systems from Germany have arrived in the war-torn nation.

"Today, the first three Gepards officially arrived. These are anti-aircraft systems, for which we have received tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition," Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the Minister as saying on Monday.

"We are waiting for the first 15 Gepards. Three arrived in Ukraine today. They are already at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he added.

Earlier this month, Germany had announced an official list of weapons it planned to send to Ukraine, including 30 Gepard air defence systems.

The supply of ammunition for Gepard was previously considered a problem, as only slightly fewer than 60,000 35 mm shells were available.

After several weeks, the German government and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence found a manufacturer that could produce additional ammunition.

Previously, the manufacturer trained Ukrainian soldiers in Germany on how to use the systems.

--IANS

ksk/