Germany to fund An-196 combat drones for Ukraine - Spiegel
Photo: Germany will finance the purchase of An-196 attack drones for Ukraine (facebook.com/14RegARMY)
Germany will allocate over 100 million euros to Ukraine for the development of An-196 attack drones with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers, Spiegel reports.
According to the agency's sources, the German government will finance the production of Ukrainian combat drones with a three-digit million-dollar sum. In particular, it is about financing the construction of An-196 attack drones.
These so-called deep-strike drones are equipped with a warhead and can cover 2,000 kilometers. It is noted that with German money, Ukraine can produce several hundred combat drones.
"The European Union is already trying to integrate Ukraine into the defense industry and use its experience of the war with Russia. This applies, in particular, to the drone industry. If several more countries invest more money in the Ukrainian defense industry, Ukraine will benefit from such support," the sources said.
An-196 Liutyi
The An-196 Liutyi is a Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drone. The development of this drone was first announced by Ukroboronprom in October 2022. At that time, it was announced that the company intended to create a drone weighing more than 200 kg that could deliver a 75 kg warhead over a distance of over 1000 kilometers.
The first production batch was ready in August 2023. On August 28, 2023, the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the base of the 126th Coast Guard Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Perevalne.
