Air defense, drones, and long-range weapons — Merz announced a new €1 billion aid package for Ukraine
Germany is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine worth approximately 1 billion euros. According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the funds will be directed toward strengthening air defense, producing drones to counter jet-powered drones, long-range weapons, and satellite technology.
“We are launching another military aid package worth about one billion euros,” said the German chancellor. One of the main areas of focus will be Ukraine’s air defense. Germany will also fund the joint production of drones designed to help the Ukrainian military combat jet-powered drones.
According to Merz, significant technological progress has already been made in this area in recent weeks. Now Germany wants to accelerate the production of such equipment. “Significant technological breakthroughs have already been achieved here in recent weeks. Production is now also being accelerated. This will quickly and significantly strengthen Ukraine’s air defense,” Merz noted.
Separately, Germany plans to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons and combat drones. According to the chancellor, this also includes satellite technology designed to help the Ukrainian military obtain the necessary information and target Russian launchers. “We are supplying long-range weapons, combat drones, and satellite technology so that Ukraine can also strike Russian launchers,” the German chancellor stated.
However, Merz did not disclose exactly which weapons would be included in the new package, in what quantities they would be provided, or when the deliveries would take place. The chancellor explained that Berlin does not wish to publicly disclose all the details of its military aid. “As for the details of military support, I ask for your understanding that we do not wish to disclose them in detail,” he said.
Merz also identified two main areas on which Germany is currently focusing its support for the Ukrainian army. The first is air defense, which is intended to protect cities and infrastructure from Russian missiles and drones. The second area is communications, particularly systems that use space technology. “The first is air defense, where the Ukrainian army needs further supplies. And the second is the entire field of communications, especially communications using space-based systems,” the German chancellor explained.
According to him, Berlin is also working to ensure that the Ukrainian military has access to the data necessary for effective defense. The new package is part of broader military cooperation between Ukraine and Germany. During Merz’s visit to Kyiv, the parties also discussed the joint production of weapons and drones. Reuters reported that, in addition to military aid, Germany is preparing separate funding for the restoration of Ukraine’s energy sector.
Previously, the German government had also emphasized the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and developing joint defense production. Friedrich Merz announced the new aid package in Kyiv during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will continue to respond to Russian strikes, particularly those targeting bridges. According to him, Russia is also attacking civilian infrastructure—warehouses, data centers, and mobile communication facilities. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine does not plan to leave such attacks unanswered.
