Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February, Germany was initially reluctant to supply Kyiv with heavy weaponry, Poland’s tvp.info website reported on Friday.
Yet amid open criticism from Central European partners and the displeasure of the German public, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government eventually made a U-turn, tvp.info said.
In late April, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht pledged that Ukraine would receive 30 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, according to tvp.info.
Ammunition issues
However, sources in Ukraine say the equipment has not arrived yet, Germany’s Die Welt newspaper reported, as cited by tvp.info.
It emerged that as of Tuesday, May 3, the government in Berlin had not been able to secure “key accessories” for the Gepard tanks, including ammunition for its 35mm cannon, tvp.info reported, citing Die Welt.
The ammunition is produced by a firm based in Switzerland, where there is a ban on exporting weapons to combat zones, Die Welt wrote, as quoted by tvp.info.
So far, Berlin has amassed 23,000 rounds of ammunition for the 30 Gepards, which would be fired away “within half an hour,” the German paper said, according to tvp.info.
Meanwhile, various media outlets have reported that the Scholz government plans to fulfil Ukraine’s request for the COBRA counter-battery radar systems, tvp.info said.
Friday was day 72 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: tvp.info, dw.com