Germany to Fund IRIS-T Production and Invest in Ukrainian Long-Range Weapons

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov have signed an agreement to finance the production of Ukrainian long-range weapons and to purchase German-made systems.

The German government announced the deal in an official press release.

The agreement includes a separate contract between Ukraine and representatives of the German defense industry.

The deals reflect Germany’s commitment to invest directly in weapons production in Ukraine, to use underused production capacity and existing technologies to develop modern weapons systems.

While the specific systems covered by the contracts were not disclosed, most of them are scheduled for delivery by 2025.

Some weapons will be deployed in the coming weeks, as they are already in service and do not require additional training.

Germany will also continue supplying ammunition. In addition to previously announced deliveries for 2025, more rounds are expected to be sent, including those for air defense systems.

Ukraine will also receive additional ground-based weapons and small arms.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry signed a separate contract with the German company Diehl to produce IRIS-T air defense systems and associated munitions. The contract is valued at €2.2 billion.

Germany will also fund the establishing and maintenance of repair infrastructure in Ukraine to support the Armed Forces. As part of this effort, defense firms from both countries will form a joint venture.

While the companies have not been named, it is believed the partnership involves Ukroboronprom and Rheinmetall.

Since April, Germany has also covered a significant part of satellite communications costs for the Ukrainian military. Similar support has been extended to Ukraine’s military command communications system.

Pistorius also pledged further assistance in the medical field, including funding for medical equipment, some of which was manufactured in Ukraine.

The total volume of Germany’s defense-related support to Ukraine under these agreements is approximately €5 billion.

Direct investments in Ukraine’s defense sector and developing partnerships between arms manufacturers are part of Berlin’s strategy to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term defense capabilities.