Germany will urgently supply Ukraine with PAC-2 interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defence systems. This was stated by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on 8 September during a meeting of the Contact Group on Defence Issues in Ukraine, held in the «Ramstein» format. The ammunition will be handed over directly from the Bundeswehr’s stocks. The number of missiles has not been publicly disclosed. Pistorius emphasised that Ukraine’s preparations for winter are currently one of the allies’ top priorities.
- Germany is to supply Ukraine with PAC-2 missiles for the Patriot system.
- They will be taken from the Bundeswehr’s stocks.
- Berlin will also increase its supplies of AIM-9 missiles.
- Deliveries of IRIS-T systems and missiles will continue.
- Pistorius called on allies to also provide missiles from their own stocks.
PAC-2 missiles will be transferred to Ukraine from Bundeswehr depots
Pistorius stated that the decision to make an urgent delivery had been taken in view of the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence ahead of the winter season.
According to him, the allies must act swiftly, as Russia continues to carry out large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
«Ukraine’s preparations for winter are a top priority and require us to take decisive and immediate action,» said Pistorius.
The minister also appealed to the other participants in the «Ramstein» exercise, calling on them to to check its own stocks of interceptors and, where possible, to make similar deliveries to Ukraine. He acknowledged that the allies have to strike a balance between their own defence needs and providing assistance to Kyiv, but urged them to decide in Ukraine’s favour whenever in doubt.
Germany will increase deliveries of AIM-9 missiles and continue with the IRIS-T programme
The aid will not be limited to PAC-2 missiles.
Pistorius said that Germany will increase regular supplies of AIM-9 air-to-air missiles to Ukraine from the Bundeswehr’s stocks. Some of this ammunition is already on its way to Ukraine.
Berlin will also continue to supply air defence systems IRIS-T and guided missiles for them.
According to the German minister, Ukraine plans to place an additional order for several thousand IRIS-T missiles, the funding for which is to be provided through a European Union defence loan.
Germany remains one of the key suppliers of Ukrainian air defence systems. Berlin and Kyiv had previously agreed on the supply of several hundred Patriot PAC-2 missiles over the coming years, as well as the further expansion of the IRIS-T fleet.
Ukraine is asking for more Patriot missiles ahead of winter
Berlin’s new decision was announced against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in Russian air strikes.
On the night of 8 September, Russia carried out a large-scale combined the attack on Ukraine using attack drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. In Kyiv, people were killed and residential buildings, a school, a medical facility and the offices of a television channel were damaged. Following the attack, the Ukrainian authorities once again called on their partners to speed up the delivery of interceptor missiles.
Just the day before «Ramstein», Ukraine convened an extraordinary meeting of the Ukraine–NATO Council and presented the following to its allies a list of the most urgent requirements for air and missile defence. Kyiv has emphasised that the speed of deliveries may now be even more important than their total volume.
Berlin is also expanding its cooperation in the field of drones
At the same time, Germany is stepping up its support for Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems.
In early September, Kyiv and Berlin were finalising a major agreement on the joint development and production of drones, missiles and software. Among the projects already underway is the funding of tens of thousands of Ukrainian strike and interceptor drones.
Germany had previously also allocated substantial funds for the development of Ukrainian deep-strike and mid-strike capabilities, air defence and joint defence production.
The new PAC-2 package is therefore part of Berlin’s broader strategy: to simultaneously supply Ukraine with missiles for its existing air defence systems and to ramp up the production of ammunition and new systems in the long term.
