German government fails to fund promised IRIS-T air defence system – media

The German government has failed to provide funding for the new IRIS-T air defence system, which the manufacturer was ready to transfer to Ukraine after Russia's attack in July on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv.

Source: European Pravda; Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) with the reference to a source

Details: The lack of funding is due to a ban on additional military aid to Ukraine amid budget negotiations within the government coalition.

The source said that because the freeze on new aid was already in effect, the existing IRIS-T air defence system was recently unable to be funded. The manufacturer, Diehl Defence, was able to make it available immediately after a Russian missile attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv in July because another customer wanted to withdraw from the delivery in favour of Ukraine.

However, the money was not approved, against the wishes of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. His ministry and Diehl did not want to comment on this.

FAS notes that due to the new restriction, the required additional military aid worth almost €4 billion cannot be granted this year, although the industry could provide it. Several sources in the federal government confirmed this.

The German Ministry of Defence did want to order military equipment for Ukraine for this amount this year, but the Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance are apparently against it. The Ministry of Defence's list also includes an air defence system that Diehl had proposed. Other major items include artillery ammunition, drones, maintenance costs and spare parts for already delivered German weapons such as tanks and howitzers. However, it is said that a small part of this is currently being financed by "leftover funds".

The expert believes that new orders up to 2028 are unlikely. Currently, Ukraine is still receiving supplies, but only under old contracts.

Background:

• It became known that the leaders of the German government coalition had reached a final compromise on the budget for 2025.
• The old and new drafts imply that military aid for Ukraine will be cut by about half, from €8 billion to €4 billion.

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