JAKARTA - German self-propelled howitzers have arrived in Ukraine in the first shipment of heavy weapons promised by Berlin, Ukraine's defense minister said on Tuesday.
Ukraine has begged the West to send in more and better artillery, as it ran out of ammunition for Soviet-era weaponry.
"We have a reload! The German 2000 Panzerhaubitze with Ukrainian trained crew joins the Ukrainian artillery family," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on social media, quoted by Reuters June 22.
The Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 is one of the most powerful artillery weapons in the Bundeswehr inventory and can hit targets at a distance of 40 km (25 miles).
Last week, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Ukrainian troops would soon complete training on the use of German howitzers, immediately entering the battlefield in Ukraine.
"Training Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 will be completed soon, so it can be used in combat in Ukraine," Minister Lambrecht told reporters during a visit to a military base in the western German city of Rheinbach.
"The first Howitzers will be sent (to Ukraine) when the training has been completed and it is the responsibility (to supply them)," explained Minister Lambrecht, adding that he would not announce dates or transport routes for security reasons.
Germany pledged to supply Kyiv with seven self-propelled howitzers by May, adding to the five artillery systems the Netherlands had promised.
Earlier, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, posted a list of other weapons promised by Germany, including 30 Gepard tanks and three MARS II dual rocket launchers, as well as 500 shoulder-fired Stinger missiles.
Other countries that have supplied Ukraine with self-propelled howitzers and cranes include the United States, Britain, France, Norway and Poland.
The supply of PzH 2000 is an example of international cooperation in support of Ukraine. I highly appreciate the efforts of my colleague, #DefMin Christine Lambrecht, and I would like to thank the Netherlands and #DefMin @KajsaOllongren. https://t.co/fSpYOAl159
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) June 21, 2022
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