Ukraine updates: Germany provides one other air protection system

Germany‘s Defense Ministry on Friday confirmed that another IRIS-T air defense system had been delivered to Ukraine.

“We have once again delivered a combined IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS fire unit to Ukraine,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Pistorius spoke of a “highly modern and well-proven medium and short-range air defense system, manufactured directly by German industry.”

Together with the recently delivered Patriot system, Germany is thus “strengthening Ukraine’s air defense in its defensive battle against Russia’s brutal war of aggression, which violates international law,” Pistorius said. 

Each IRIS-T system consists of truck-mounted launchers, missiles, a radar unit and a separate command vehicle. 

It is designed to protect cities, military personnel and civilian populations from air attacks, being capable of defending against planes, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones, cruise missiles and loitering munitions.  

It has an operational range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and can attain an altitude of 20 kilometers.

Prior to Friday’s delivery, Germany had already supplied Ukraine with three Iris-T SLM and one Iris-T SLS air defense systems as well as two Patriot air defense systems.

Pistorius said that Russia has been stepping up its air attacks on Ukraine for months, killing people and destroying important infrastructure.