Ukraine's secret wish list of German arms exposed
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Berlin has been the second largest supplier of arms to Kiev, surpassed only by the US.
In an article on Sunday, Bild claimed that the list is divided into three categories: air defense, armored vehicles, and electronic warfare. According to the tabloid, the requested weapons are worth billions of euros, though it is not clear at this point whether Berlin will fulfill Kiev's supposed wish list.
The media outlet reported that while anonymous 'military circles and industry have confirmed the existence of the list,' a spokesperson for Germany's Defense Ministry declined to comment on the matter.
Among the weapons requested are 1,500 medium-range and 500 short-range missiles for various modifications of the German-made Iris-T air defense system, Bild claimed. Ukraine is also reportedly seeking 1,200 mine-protected and tracked vehicles, plus an additional 200 off-road vehicles.
Kiev's wish list also includes 1,000 GPS jammers and 200 mobile surveillance radars, according to the outlet.
Last week, Bild, citing unnamed sources, claimed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government had quietly approached US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June at the behest of Ukrainian officials. According to the media outlet, Kiev hoped that Washington would agree to a deal under which Berlin would purchase two US-made Patriot air defense systems that would subsequently be handed over to Ukraine.
Speaking last Friday, German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius acknowledged that 'intensive discussions' were taking place between Berlin and Washington regarding such an arrangement.
In May, Germany's Defense Ministry announced that it would provide €5 billion ($5.6 billion) to 'finance the production of long-range weapon systems in Ukraine.'
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the decision, saying that Germany is 'competing with France for primacy in further provoking war.'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov similarly stated that Berlin's 'direct involvement in the war is now obvious.'
'Germany is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – down toward its own collapse,' the diplomat warned in late May.
Moscow has consistently condemned Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that they fuel more bloodshed and obstruct peace efforts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
3 killed in Ukrainian drone strike on public beach
A Ukrainian drone struck a public beach in the city of Kursk in western Russia on Tuesday, killing three people and injuring six others, regional governor Aleksandr Khinshtein has said.
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine threatens new invasion of two Russian regions
Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Aleksandr Syrsky, has called for the re-establishment of Kiev's military positions in Russia's Kursk and Belgorod Regions. The proposal comes despite the failure of Ukraine's past incursion attempts and the resumption of peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. In late April, Russia announced that it had fully regained control of Kursk Region after months of fighting and expelled all Ukrainian units from occupied settlements. The following month, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally visited the region to oversee restoration efforts. Kiev's forces have since continued their attempts to break through the border, but have been unable to re-establish a foothold. On Tuesday, Syrsky reported that he had attended a meeting chaired by Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, during which the commander had 'emphasized the restoration of positions and holding territories in the Kursk and Belgorod regions of the Russian Federation.' Syrsky did not elaborate on how such objectives could be achieved. Ukraine has continued to face mounting challenges on the battlefield, including a severe manpower shortage and diminishing weapons supplies. Last week, the US reportedly halted all weapon shipments to Kiev, citing an internal stockpile review. On Sunday, Bild reported that Kiev had requested a variety of weapons from Germany valued at billions of euros. The request allegedly includes WiSENT demining vehicles, which were previously utilized by Ukrainian forces during their last unsuccessful incursion. Kiev launched its thrust into the Russian border region in August 2024. While initially managing to capture a number of settlements, Ukraine's offensive was soon halted, and its forces were gradually pushed out. During a recent appearance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described the Ukrainian campaign in Kursk as a 'catastrophe,' saying it resulted in over 76,000 Ukrainian casualties. He stated that Ukraine's combat units are now manned at just 47% of their required strength. Syrsky's call to re-enter Kursk and Belgorod also comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts between Russia and Ukraine. Direct negotiations resumed in Istanbul earlier this year, with both sides exchanging prisoners and drafting preliminary memorandums on a potential ceasefire. However, Russian officials have expressed skepticism about Kiev's commitment to peace. The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out drone strikes and sabotage attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russian cities, including the Kursk and Bryansk Regions. Putin has characterized such operations as acts of terrorism, suggesting that Ukraine's leadership remains more focused on confrontation than compromise.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Mother dies trying to save son from draft officers in Ukraine – media (VIDEO)
A woman has died shortly after a desperate attempt to save her son from military recruitment officers in Ukraine, a local Telegram channel and media have claimed, posting a dramatic video of the incident. Ukrainian authorities declared general mobilization following the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, barring most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. In 2024, Kiev tightened conscription laws and lowered the draft age from 27 to 25. However, a considerable number of would-be recruits are apparently unwilling to join the Ukrainian military, as attested by numerous social media videos depicting men fleeing from or resisting draft officers. The mobilization campaign, enforced by the country's Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has been repeatedly criticized over draft officers' aggressive tactics and abuses. The video of the incident, which reportedly took place in the city of Merefa in Kharkov Region in eastern Ukraine, was published by a local Telegram channel on Tuesday. A woman in her 60s can be seen clinging to the windshield of a moving van, seemingly trying to stop it. The vehicle moves in reverse gear for some time while the woman screams. An onlooker shooting the video is heard claiming that the van belonged to military recruitment officers who had recently taken the woman's son, who was presumably being held inside the vehicle. Eventually, a brawny man emerges from the vehicle and rudely tackles the woman, finally making her let go of the van. Soon after it speeds away, the woman collapses to the ground. According to media outlet, the woman soon passed away in an ambulance. In recent months, numerous violent altercations between draft officers and reluctant draftees have been captured on video all across Ukraine. There have also been multiple cases of civil disobedience and even assassinations of draft officers, as well as reports of men dying under suspicious circumstances shortly after being taken from the street. Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko claimed last month that fewer than one in four recruits enlist voluntarily, with most entering service through what he described as 'brutal compulsory conscription.' Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukrainian recruitment officers are grabbing people 'like dogs on the street.' He accused the leadership in Kiev of waging a war 'to the last Ukrainian' on behalf of Western nations. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has officially dismissed criticism of the mobilization process as 'Russian propaganda.'
