Ukraine is strengthening its defence cooperation with Germany. This was announced by Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal on social media, informing about the signing of new agreements with German partners worth over €1.2 billion.
According to the minister, the agreements reached provide for the long-term supply of spare parts for Patriot air defence systems, which will enable faster repair, modernisation and restoration of existing complexes. The purchase of Ukrainian drones worth €200 million has also been agreed, which are considered a priority means of deterring enemy offensive actions and inflicting losses on them.
Separately, Shmyhal announced the implementation of the largest artillery project – the production of 200 Bogdan self-propelled artillery systems on the new Zetros chassis with a total cost of €750 million. This should significantly strengthen the artillery capabilities of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
In addition, the agreements provide for the joint production of Ukrainian Lensa drones in cooperation between Frontline Robotics and Quantum Systems as part of the Build with Ukraine initiative. These UAVs are intended to scale up tactical reconnaissance. Contracts have also been signed for the uninterrupted supply of modern electronic warfare equipment at the tactical level.
The minister recalled that thanks to agreements between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany has committed to allocating €11.5 billion in 2026 to support Ukraine. He thanked German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius for announcing this support during the Ramstein meeting, as well as for the transfer of two Patriot systems and a ninth IRIS-T system, which, according to him, will help protect Ukrainian cities and strengthen European security.