Melnik spoke about the transfer of air defense from Germany/Collage of Channel 24
Andriy Melnyk announced that Germany will transfer modern air defense systems, which are considered among the best in the world, to Ukraine.
Authorized Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Andriy Melnik said that Germany is ready to transfer the latest air defense systems. According to him, such systems will be able to provide a safe sky over Ukraine for several years.
Germany is ready, according to Melnyk, to transfer air defense, which even the Bundeswehr does not have.
In particular, I hope for support from Berlin in the purchase of the next 10 IRIS-T fixed air defense systems, which are considered among the coolest in the world and can provide a safe sky over Ukraine over the next years. Andriy Melnyk said in an interview with Ukrinform.
According to the Plenipotentiary Ambassador, Ukrainian and German diplomats, as a result of close behind-the-scenes cooperation with the manufacturer Diehl Defense, overcome political resistance and achieve a contract for the purchase of the first such system worth 178 million euros. Melnik added that the purchase of air defense systems will take place at the expense of the German government.
Melnik's criticism of the German government and delaying assistance: what happened before
- The Plenipotentiary Ambassador has repeatedly condemned the delay in Berlin with the issuance of weapons and military assistance to Ukraine. Recently, Andriy Melnyk spoke about the artificial extension of the process of transferring the Marder BMP to Ukraine.
- Andriy Melnyk appealed to the government, condemning the reluctance to quickly provide Ukraine with weapons that had been promised for a long time.
- According to Andrei Melnik, Germany is deliberately delaying the delivery of Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which have already been modernized. BMPs can be sent to Ukraine immediately, but Germany is artificially trying to delay the transfer process.
- Previously, the German government repeatedly promised to supply weapons to Ukraine, but later stated that the schedule for the transfer was not known.
- According to Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, which manufactures these vehicles, several Marder infantry fighting vehicles that have been decommissioned by Germany have already been upgraded and are ready to be sent to Ukraine. He noted that the company is in the process of repairing 100 Marder armored personnel carriers, and the first vehicles are already fully prepared. That is, the company is not averse to transferring modernized pieces of equipment to Ukraine.
- Papperger explained that when and where they leave, the federal government will decide. There are already photos of five modernized Marder, the cost of each is from 850 thousand euros to 1 million, depending on the configuration. There are also 88 Leopard 1 tanks and other Leopard 2 tanks in the Rheinmetall warehouse for modernization.
