During a visit to Kyiv, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announces a new €1.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine. This was reported by Suspilne.

The new package includes four more modern medium-range air defense systems IRIS-T SLM, plus 20 000 155-mm shells and anti-tank mines.

The head of the German Defense Ministry added that the allocation of the new package signals that Germany is “steadfast and reliable” with Ukraine.

It’s nice that the new package was announced just a week after the previous one of November 13, 2023, which, among other things, included 10 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 14 Bandvagn 206 tracked all-terrain vehicles, 5 Carrier Warthog medical all-terrain vehicles and much more.

In fact, according to the Ukraine Support Tracker, Germany has long been the second largest donor to Ukraine’s defense forces. Since February 24, 2022, Germany has provided €17.1 billion in aid to Ukraine. The United States ranks first with €42.1 billion. The top five also includes the United Kingdom (€6.6 billion), Norway (€3.7 billion), and Denmark (€3.5 billion). Poland is sixth (€3 billion).

Specifications of IRIS-T SLM missiles
Weight – 89 kg
Length – 3 meters
Diameter – 127 mm
Warhead – 11.4 kg, high-explosive fragmentation
Engine – solid fuel
Maximum range – up to 40 km
Maximum target height – up to 5 km
Cost – approximately $430 000 per unit