Germany to supply IRIS-T air defense system to Ukraine

BERLIN (AA) - Germany will send modern radar and air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming weeks, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday.

Addressing lawmakers during a budget debate, Scholz dismissed heavy criticism from the opposition parties that the government is not doing enough to support Ukraine in its fight with Russia.

“We continue to supply weapons to Ukraine since the beginning of the war,” he said, and disclosed that in addition to the hundreds of anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, Germany so far delivered more than 5,000 anti-tank mines, 100,000 hand grenades and more than 15 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.

“In the coming weeks, we’ll supply further weapons to Ukraine. The government has recently decided to deliver the IRIS-T air defense system, this is the most modern air defense system German has,” he said.

Scholz underlined that modern radars and the IRIS-T system provided by Germany will help Ukraine protect its big cities from Russian air strikes.

The German chancellor accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “imperialism” and said European states will not allow him to achieve his goals with the war.

“Putin must not win the war in Ukraine, and he will not win it,” he stressed.