"First for Ukraine, then for us": Pistorius promised to urgently supply guided missiles to Ukraine.

Germany will urgently send a new batch of guided missiles for the IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine to assist in protecting against Russian aggression.

These missiles were initially intended for the German armed forces, but will now be delivered directly from production to Ukraine, as reported by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, according to Deutsche Welle.

In light of Russia's airstrikes on Ukraine, including the use of cluster munitions, Pistorius added:

“We will first supply Ukraine before replenishing our own stocks.”

According to the minister, Ukraine can count on Germany for military assistance, regardless of the outcome of the early elections to the Bundestag scheduled for February 23.

The German Ministry of Defense announced on its microblog on the X platform:

“Germany continues to reliably and vigorously assist Ukraine. In 2025, the six IRIS-T systems previously promised will be delivered, and now Germany will also allocate nearly 50 guided missiles for the IRIS-T systems.”

To protect the largest logistics hub in Poland, through which aid is sent to Ukraine, Germany will send two Patriot air defense systems and 200 soldiers for a period of approximately six months in the coming weeks. They will operate under NATO command.

On the 1051st day of Russia's war against Ukraine, allies of Kyiv, including U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, discussed in Ramstein how to continue supporting Ukraine. During the meeting, Austin announced an additional military aid package to Kyiv worth $500 million and promised further support from the U.S.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is personally attending the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Ramstein for the second time.

Background. As became known the day before, Germany is preparing new assistance packages for Ukraine. This includes Leopard tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and other weaponry.