Germany will be able to supply Ukraine only three IRIS-T air defenses promised in 2023

BERLIN, 17 October – RIA Novosti. After the recent delivery to Ukraine of the first German air defense system IRIS-T SLM, the remaining three promised to Kiev will not be delivered until next year, knowledgeable On Monday, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.

In the middle of last week, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced that the first IRIS-T complex is already in the country. In a comment to RIA Novosti, military expert Alexei Leonkov noted that the Russian Iskander and Caliber missile systems are able to effectively overcome such air defense, primarily due to the low ceiling of approaching the target – about 10-15 meters.

“The remainder (air defense systems – ed.) will be delivered within the next year, in line with the industry’s capacity,” Lambrecht said on the TV channel’s broadcast. ZDF.

He attributed slow production and lack of ready-made systems to the economy of the past government. The minister promised to supply the Ukrainian army with tents and heaters on the eve of winter.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock previously said that more support will be provided to Kiev, especially in the field of air defense. The minister emphasized that at the moment the issue of air defense is more important than the supply of German tanks.

Russia had previously sent a note to NATO countries for arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that the pumping of weapons into Ukraine from the West does not contribute to the success of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative impact.