Ukraine Gets Weapons Aid From The West Again, Anti-Aircraft Tanks, Rocket Launchers And Howitzers From Germany

German Gepard illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Alan Wilson)

Jakarta - Germany has sent three anti-aircraft tanks, three rocket launchers and three howitzers to Ukraine in the latest wave of military aid amid the Russian invasion.

The delivery includes three Mars II dual launch rocket systems, the first of a class of weapons provided by Germany, more than a month after saying it would deliver.

The delay was attributed by German officials to technical checks and measures to equip Ukrainian troops with the necessary training to operate the weapon, which has a range of 84 kilometers and is similar to the American M270 model.

Andriy Yermak, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed acceptance of the Mars IIs and said they would be used to counter Russia's "politics of terror and blackmail".

Ukraine said it had received the first three Gepard anti-aircraft tanks from Germany, out of a promised 15, which Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said would help protect the country's skies.

The Gepard, which entered service in the 1970s with the West German military, is no longer used by the German army, but some stocks have been held by arms manufacturers.

There were also three PzH 2000 howitzers in the package, in addition to the seven that Germany said had already been delivered. Some have been provided by the Dutch military.

The latest shipment was "a very strong message of determination a day before Russia's reduction in gas supplies", said German diplomat Miguel Berger, referring to a cut in shipments via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, quoted in The National News on July 28.

A recent series of rankings by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which compiles data on aid to Ukraine, shows Germany is sixth — behind the US, Poland, UK, Canada, and Norway on the list of countries that have offered the most military support to Ukraine.

Separately, military experts say Ukraine's tough resistance since the invasion in February could still be tempered by Russia's numerical advantage if the war continues.

"Perhaps for the first time in the history of mankind, we can now show everyone in the world and for centuries, that democracy, united, can stop any tyranny, even if, at first, it seems that it has unlimited resources for aggression," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"That is why it is necessary to continue the supply of modern and effective weapons to our country in sufficient quantities to finally break the offensive potential of Russia's tyranny."