Germany’s “most advanced” IRIS-T air defense system will arrive in Ukraine around mid-autumn, the Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, Andrey Melnyk, told local media on Friday. He said it’s the only thing he has thanked Berlin for in recent months.
The air defense system, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to Kiev back in early June, will be produced by the end of summer, Melnyk told the Novoye Vremya newspaper, adding that the Ukrainian soldiers will then have to undergo training to learn how to use it. The system itself is expected to arrive to Ukraine at some point in October, he said.
“The IRIS-T system is the only thing I thanked the chancellor and the [German] government for over the past months,” said Melnyk, who has been known for his criticism of the German authorities after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. The Ukrainian envoy has repeatedly scolded Berlin over not providing enough military aid to Kiev and particularly delaying the heavy weapon deliveries Ukraine desperately asked for.