Armed with the German-made IRIS-T for the first time, the unit intercepted seven Russian missiles in one battle, outperforming its past best of five set with the S-300.
A leaked internal Bundeswehr report reveals that Ukrainian forces find many German weapons unreliable in combat, with the outdated Gepard surprisingly outperforming newer systems.
Germany bolsters Ukraine with comprehensive military aid including mine-resistant vehicles, artillery, and drones while preparing additional €3 billion support package despite production delays for advanced air defense systems.
A new agreement with Diehl Defence will triple deliveries of IRIS-T missiles, though key challenges remain—only Patriot systems can intercept Russian ballistic and hypersonic threats.
German Defense Minister Pistorius and FM Baerbock work to mobilize the additional military aid before 23 February elections, while the Chancellor considers this unnecessary.
Berlin boosts Ukraine's air defenses with advanced missile systems and ammunition as Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure intensify, though Taurus long-range missiles remain absent from the package.
While Ukraine receives additional air defense support from its partners, the ongoing Russian attacks highlight the urgent need for effective protection against aerial threats.
Maj-Gen Freuding announced Germany will send two air defense systems, dozens of vehicles and tanks, and large quantities of artillery shells to Ukraine by year-end.
Germany provided Ukraine with a new military aid package, including an IRIS-T air defense system, Vector drones, a recovery vehicle, engineer excavators, ammunition, unmanned surface vessels, first aid kits, and rifles to support Ukraine's defense.