According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, the German government will deliver a first unit of the Iris-T SLM air defense system on the ground to Ukraine “within a few days”. Even the German Bundeswehr does not yet have the state-of-the-art system. Lambrecht personally conveyed this message during a visit to the Black Sea port city of Odessa.
Shortly before the visit, which was initially kept secret for security reasons, two Russian Iskander missiles hit an industrial area in Odessa, according to Ukrainian sources. No one was injured. In the afternoon Lambrecht himself had to temporarily go to a bunker because of an air raid siren. The Gepard anti-aircraft tank was also a topic during the visit. The SPD politician heard about the use of the 30 tanks made available. The system will help protect “critical infrastructure” from Russian air strikes, she said at the grain port. From there, Ukrainian grain is exported to the world via the Black Sea, after supplies were long blocked by Russia. Lambrecht also spoke with the German-trained Gepard team.
A planned visit to the city of Mykolayiv, about 40 kilometers from the front, had to be canceled for security reasons due to the threat of Russian missile and artillery attacks. In the area, Lambrecht originally wanted to visit weapon positions, training facilities and mine clearance activities together with Reznikov. “Ukraine is currently experiencing an incredible amount of air strikes and that is why it is so important that we provide even more support in the field of air defense,” the minister said, emphasizing: “You can count on us there.” Oleksiy Reznikov said the Ukrainians would fight until all their territories were liberated — including Crimea’s Black Sea peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Lambrecht: ‘NATO will not be a war party’
The minister expressed understanding for Ukraine’s rapid admission to NATO. However, for such a procedure certain conditions would have to be met. “And very important: NATO has clearly positioned itself, we are not going to be a war party.”
The German government member also promised further support for the equipment and training of the army in the neighboring Ukrainian Republic of Moldova. This includes the purchase of drones. Given Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons, the minister warned that the West would be paralyzed.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
