Germany halts increased arms support, Ukrainian forces suffering
German "FAS" reported that the federal government will not increase aid to Ukraine. Documents obtained by "Bild" indicate that the problem is much more severe. The Ukrainian army is already running out of German weapons, and Germany's reserves are almost exhausted.
According to reports by the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS), Finance Minister Christian Lindner set savings targets, under which Ukraine will not receive any military aid beyond what was previously included in the budget. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was supposed to receive a letter on this matter as early as the beginning of August.
Sunday's edition of Bild reveals the details of the letter the defence minister received. The documents indicate that the introduced savings are already negatively affecting Ukrainians' combat capability.
Germany supplied Ukraine with 14 self-propelled howitzers. However, spare parts are needed; without them, Ukraine cannot use the equipment. "In the middle of the offensive in the Kursk region and during the defence of Donbas, which is crucial for Ukraine's survival, the army can no longer use German howitzers or can use them only to a limited extent. This is a huge advantage for the Russian dictator," comments "Bild".
The document states that "currently no further commitments can be made regarding new projects to support Ukrainian armed forces. This concerns more than 30 high-priority actions undertaken by Ukraine, totalling around €3 billion (£2.6 billion).
Further problems may arise concerning the already promised ammunition supplies to Ukraine.
According to the publication, problems with arms and ammunition deliveries to Ukraine may be due to Germany's inability to replenish the Bundeswehr's depleted stocks. This primarily concerns self-propelled artillery systems, guided missiles for the Patriot and IRIS-T systems, and 155 mm calibre missiles.
