Germany to supply Ukraine with 7 self-propelled howitzers

Germany has reached an agreement to supply Ukraine with seven self-propelled armoured howitzers, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said while in Sliac, Slovakia, on Friday.

Training is to be offered by Germany on the Panzerhaubitzen 2000 artillery system, which features a cannon mounted on a tracked vehicle and resembles a tank.

With standard ammunition, the howitzer reaches firing distances of 30 kilometres; with range-enhanced ammunition, up to 40 kilometres are possible, according to the German military.

Lambrecht announced the pledge, which comes on top of an earlier promise to send heavy weapons, while visiting German soldiers in Slovakia, who are deployed to help NATO reinforce its eastern flank.

The German government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been repeatedly accused by the leadership in Kiev of not doing enough to help defend against the Russian invasion.

Until last month, Berlin had been reluctant to arm Ukraine with heavy weapons.

But, under increasing pressure from both from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and politicians at home, Scholz's government reversed course in April and pledged to export German-made Gepard armoured anti-aircraft vehicles - also known as the Cheetah system - to Ukraine.