Germany will supply Ukraine 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 anti-aircraft Stinger missiles. The weapons from the German Army’s stocks will be delivered to Ukraine as soon as possible, a government spokesman announced on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Berlin also approved the Netherlands’ request to send 50 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank weapons and 400 rockets to Ukraine. A spokesman confirmed that the government also approved Estonia’s request to transfer nine D30 howitzers to the Ukrainian Army.
The recent decisions marked a dramatic shift in the government’s policy, and came after growing criticism from Ukraine and Germany’s NATO allies. As Russia’s biggest gas customer, Germany had tried to keep Nord Stream 2 out of global politics. Until Russia’s military attack on Ukraine, Berlin ruled out supplying arms to Kyiv, and also turned down requests from allies to send their German-made weapons to the country. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Russia’s military assault on Ukraine has been “a turning point” for Europe, threatening the international order established after World War II.
The Panzerfaust 3 is a modern semi-disposable recoilless anti-tank weapon, which was developed between 1978 and 1985 and first entered service with the German Army in 1987. The Panzerfaust 3 series of launchers is a compact, lightweight, shoulder-fired, unguided antitank weapon series. It consists of a disposable canister with a 110-mm warhead and reusable firing and sighting device. The Panzerfaust 3 is light enough to be carried and fired by one person. The Panzerfaust 3 is operated by at least 11 countries and has first seen combat in Afghanistan.
The FIM-92 Stinger is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) that operates as an infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM). Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive surface-to-air missile that can be shoulder-fired by a single operator. It has a targeting range of up to 4,800 m and can engage low altitude enemy threats at up to 3,800 m. Developed in the United States, it entered service in 1981 and is used by the militaries of the United States and 29 other countries. It is principally manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems and is produced under license by European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) in Germany.
