German Military Says It Has No IRIS-T Missiles and Radars Promised by Scholz to Ukraine

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The reserves of German armed forces (Bundeswehr) have no IRIS-T air defence systems and tracking radars which Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to send to Ukraine, but deliveries may come directly from the military-industrial complex, the German defense ministry said on Wednesday.

"This is a question ultimately addressable to the industry. Because we do not have these systems at our disposal," a ministry spokesman said at a briefing in Berlin, adding that "these systems are not in reserves".

Earlier in the day, Scholz told the German parliament that the federal government decided to send new weapons to Ukraine in the coming weeks, including IRIS-Ts, which he called "the most advanced air defence system Germany has."

Scholz also promised to send special radar systems for artillery and announced that Germany signed a contract for Gepard air-defense tanks with Ukraine last week.

"A three-week training is underway right now," he told the Bundestag.

In the coming weeks Ukraine will also receive a joint German-Dutch assistance package of  PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers, which too came with a training of the Ukrainian military that is about to complete, Scholz reminded the German lawmakers.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a press conference with the leaders of the three Baltic states, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvia Prime Minister Karins, ahead of consultations on Ukraine crisis, at the Chancellery, Berlin, Thursday Feb. 10, 2022

© AP Photo / Christophe Gateau

Berlin has already supplied Kiev with over 15 million rounds of ammunition, 100,000 hand grenades, more than 5,000 anti-tank mines and machine guns, among other weaponry and equipment, since the start of hostilities in late February, the German chancellor said. This included a cooperation with Denmark and the Czech Republic that allowed to send Ukraine 54 armored personnel carriers and 20 T-72 tanks to Ukraine.

On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.

In response, the United States and its allies launched comprehensive sanctions against Russia and boosted military assistance for Ukraine, including by supplying it with lethal weapons.