Following President Volodymyr Zelenskyʼs visit to Berlin, Germany reported a new military aid package to Ukraine worth approximately €5 billion.
The German newspaper WELT has learned the details of what the new support entails.
Part of the money will go to finance Ukrainian long-range drones. The newspaperʼs sources in government circles reported that in early May, Ukraine turned to the German Ministry of Defense with a request to finance the production of long-range drones of the Bars and An-196 "Feb" types, as well as Flamingo type drones. Germany supported this. About €400 million could be spent on this.
At the same time, the German government continues to avoid a direct answer about the supply of the German Taurus cruise missile with a range of 500-600 kilometers, which only intensifies the political debate. But there are doubts that Ukraine will need Taurus, given that Ukrainian drones already achieve a similar range. The "Feb" covers up to 600 kilometers, and the drone missile "Bars" — up to 800 kilometers.
Another part of the funds will be directed to the supply of four Iris-T systems from Diehl. Meanwhile, the defense company KNDS will receive a contract for the repair of equipment, for example, for the repair of Gepard anti-aircraft systems. The equipment will be repaired in Ukraine.
- The previous German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposed the transfer of Taurus to Ukraine, fearing escalation with Russia. At the same time, in February 2024, the German Bundestag voted to recommend providing Ukraine with long-range weapons, which could be seen as a call to transfer Taurus. But the final word was with Scholz.
- In April 2025, then-future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that he was in favor of transferring Taurus long-range missiles to the Ukrainian military. He is now avoiding the topic.
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