Germany has signed its first contract to finance military production in Ukraine, specifically long-range drones used to strike targets in Russia.

Source: European Pravda, citing Welt

Details: Welt reports that Germany is funding the production of over 500 An-196 Lyutyi drones, which have a 1,200-kilometre range and carry approximately 50-kilogram explosive payloads. The drones are expected to be operational in the coming months.

Welt reported that Ukraine likely used An-196 Lyutyi drones in strikes on Russian rear targets on Tuesday night.

The German Ministry of Defence confirmed to Welt that Berlin is “financing the production of long-range weapons in Ukraine” but did not specify the weapon types, timelines, or funding amounts.

The financing will allow “in a short period of time to provide a country that has been attacked with weapons systems that the Ukrainian army has already mastered”, the German Ministry of Defence concluded.

Background:

On 30 June 2025, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Kyiv to discuss the supply of new IRIS-T systems and joint weapons production with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Germany is also financing Ukraine’s access to a satellite internet network managed by Eutelsat, an alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

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