Russia has asserted that Berlin’s backing of Kyiv’s military industry exacerbates the conflict with Moscow and impedes peace efforts.
Ukraine is slated to receive its first delivery of long-range missiles, funded by Germany, before the end of July, a senior German general confirmed, acknowledging a worsening of Kyiv’s battlefield situation.
Major General Christian Freuding, who coordinates Berlin’s military aid to Kyiv, told ZDF that Germany is “ready to make these weapons systems available.”
Freuding stated that Ukraine would get the weapons “by the end of this month,” adding that they would arrive “in high three-digit numbers.” He did not disclose the specific missile types or their range.
Freuding stated, ”We need weapons systems that can reach deep into Russian territory and attack depots, command facilities, airfields, and aircraft.”
He continued by explaining that these deliveries are based on a contract between Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and its domestic weapons industry, underpinned by German funding secured in late May.
Freuding underlined that Germany is not supplying Kyiv with long-range Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500km. Despite Ukraine’s repeated requests, Berlin has been hesitant to approve these deliveries, contending that it could escalate the hostilities and entangle Germany in the conflict.
He acknowledged that Ukraine is confronting growing battlefield difficulties, observing that Russia is achieving “small but steady” gains, compelling Ukrainian units to withdraw to deeper defensive lines. Airspace conditions have “worsened in recent weeks,” he reported, citing a specific night when Kyiv was subjected to an attack involving over 700 drones and dozens of missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry has previously stated that it targets only military-related facilities and never civilians.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in late May, expressed support for Ukraine’s development of its own long-range weapons. He stated that while Kyiv would receive German financial support to procure these systems, it would face no restrictions on their use.
Russia has cautioned against Western military aid to Ukraine, arguing it will only extend the conflict without altering its eventual outcome. Reacting to Merz’s announcement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Germany of “competing with France for primacy in stoking the war,” warning that these actions impede peace efforts. He further added that supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine would lead to an “inevitable escalation.”