Ukraine to get long-range systems as part of project with Germany by end of July — general

Major General Christian Freuding, head of a working group on coordination of assistance to Ukraine at the German Defense Ministry, said that Ukraine could receive the first long-range systems as part of the German-Ukrainian project by the end of July, Report informs via TASS.

Freuding, who is currently in Kyiv, said that on Friday, there was a "signing ceremony of an agreement between representatives of the Ukrainian industry and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, funded by Germany. We launched this initiative at the end of May, and as a result of this initiative, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive the first long-range weapons systems at the end of this month. And then in large numbers, expressed in three digits, and this will significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defense and capabilities in the coming weeks and months," he said on the ZDF TV channel.

He said that Kyiv "needs weapons systems capable of penetrating deep into the Russian territory and attacking warehouses, command posts, airfields, and airplanes." Germany is ready to provide Ukraine with such weapons systems, he noted.

During President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Berlin on May 28, the two countries signed an agreement on the production of long-range weapons in Ukraine. In mid-June, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Zelenskyy in Kyiv confirmed that Germany and Ukraine intend to start joint production of long-range combat systems, including drones and cruise missiles.

On July 1, Die Welt newspaper, citing sources, said that Germany had begun financing the production of long-range combat systems for Ukraine. According to it, the German government signed the first agreement with Ukraine, under which Germany will pay for the manufacture of more than 500 long-range drones of the AN-196 type ("Fierce").