Ukraine's secret arms request to Germany leaked — billions in air defense and gear
Photo: German IRIS-T air defense system (Ukrainian Defense Ministry)
Ukraine has sent Germany a major request for military aid. The list includes air defense systems, munitions, armored engineering vehicles, and other equipment needed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to BILD and the German Aid to Ukraine (GAU) account, which tracks Berlin's military assistance to Kyiv.
According to BILD, Ukraine submitted a list of requested weapons, ammunition, and gear to the German government. The paper says both military and political sources confirmed the list’s existence.
However, Germany has not officially acknowledged the document, which is reportedly worth billions of euros. The government cited security concerns as the reason for withholding such sensitive details.
"For reasons of military security and with a view to the Federal Government's new line of communication on supporting Ukraine, we are not answering questions about individual support services," a spokesperson for the German Defense Ministry told BILD.
What Ukraine is requesting, according to the report:
- 4 IRIS-T SLM fire units;
- 1,500 IRIS-T SL missiles;
- 500 IRIS-T missiles;
- 200,000 rounds of 40mm ammunition for drone defence;
- 1,000 mine-protected vehicles (various systems;
- 200 tracked vehicles (various systems);
- 30 mine-clearing tanks;
- 20 to 30 WiSENT AEVs;
- 200 off-road vehicles for the transport of special forces;
- 1,000 GPS jammers for defence against enemy drones;
- 200 ground surveillance radars.
"The 2025 military aid budget for Ukraine has been increased by €1.2 billion from the previous year, rising from €7.1 billion to €8.3 billion. This could give Defense Minister Boris Pistorius the financial flexibility to meet some of Ukraine's requests," the report adds.
Meanwhile, GAU notes that the air defense portion of the request has already been addressed. In late May, Ukraine signed a contract with Germany for the delivery of four IRIS-T SLM systems under a €5 billion aid package.
"As far as the delivery of missiles is concerned, we are talking about orders of magnitude that we could previously only dream of. As of February 2025, just 658 IRIS-T/IRIS-T SL missiles had been delivered to Ukraine. So we are talking here about the delivery of slightly more than three times the number of missiles so far delivered within three years of war in a single contract," the analysis notes.
Germany had also pledged to deliver 100 ground surveillance radars. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius later told lawmakers that Germany plans to send 1,100 radars to Ukraine, with deliveries already confirmed.
Ukraine may also receive additional Patriot systems from Germany. Berlin is prepared to finance the delivery of two Patriot launchers, pending approval for the sale.
At the same time, Germany is ramping up its own defense. Berlin is considering the large-scale purchase of up to 2,500 armored combat vehicles and up to 1,000 main battle tanks as part of broader European efforts to form new NATO brigades aimed at deterring Russia. The deal could exceed €25 billion.
