Sueddeutsche Zeitung: Germany wants to take back Gepard ZSU transferred to Qatar for Ukraine

MOSCOW, February 3 – RIA Novosti. According to the newspaper’s report, Berlin is considering repurchasing the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (ZSU) previously transferred to Qatar for transfer to Ukraine. Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Earlier, it was noted that Krauss-Maffei Wegmann sold 15 Gepard ZSUs to Qatar, which were decommissioned from the Bundeswehr with the permission of the government of former Chancellor Angela Merkel. These SPAAGs ensured the safety of Qatar during the World Cup.

According to the newspaper, shortly after the final of the championship, which took place on December 18, representatives from Germany came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar “with an urgent request” to discuss the Gepard ZSU and its ammunition stockpiles.

According to the newspaper, Germany plans to transfer the last seven Gepard SPAAGs to Ukraine, after which the total number of Ukraine will be 37. The problem is that the ammunition for these SPAAGs was produced in Switzerland due to its neutrality. Despite numerous requests from the German government, delivery of the installations has not yet been authorized. That’s why the issue arose with Gepard ammunition from Brazil and Qatar, since they are no longer produced in Switzerland, but in Germany or the Netherlands, the publication says.

Russia had previously sent a note to NATO countries for arms supplies to Ukraine. Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become 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. The Kremlin stated that pumping weapons into Ukraine from the West did not contribute to the success of the Russia-Ukraine negotiations and would have a negative impact.