What's New
Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer, has received an order to provide Ukraine with 20 additional Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles, which will be delivered in the first half of 2025. The order, funded by Germany, is valued at tens of millions of dollars.
Newsweek reached out to Germany's Federal Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Germany's further provision of weapons to Ukraine is significant because tensions between Moscow and Berlin have been increasing recently, and the Germans' continued support of Kyiv could incite further anger from Russia.
A Russian state TV host recently said that the country could hit Germany with "special means," during a broadcast.
What To Know
The Marder is an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that can both transport troops and fire ammunition and was first given to the German Army in 1971. The Marder 1A3 is an upgraded version of the infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s, according to the outlet Global Defense News.
The Marder 1A3 is complete with laser range finders to enable "efficient and precise target management." As of November, Ukraine has received 140 Marder IFVs with spare parts, according to the German government.
Rheinmetall sent the first 20 Marder IFVs on behalf of the German government in March 2023, and has overall sent approximately 200 combat vehicles, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. The German arms manufacturer also previously announced that it received an order from the Ukrainian government to begin construction on an ammunition factory in February.
This order for additional weapons for Ukraine followed Germany's recent arms package to Ukraine valued at $1.5 billion (1.4 billion euros), announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in October.
Germany has been one of Ukraine's closest allies and is the largest military supplier since the war began in February 2022, sending aid now and into the future valued at approximately 28 billion euros ($29.4 billion). The NATO nation has provided weapons, humanitarian aid, and trained Ukrainian soldiers in the nearly three years of war.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine wrote: "German-made Marder IFV in service with the 100th Mechanized Brigade. We would like to say 'Vielen Dank' to our German friends for these IFVs, that has already shown itself well in the destruction of invaders."
What Happens Next
It is possible that Ukraine will use the Marder 1A3 IFVs in their operation in Kursk, as they have the ability to both fire ammunition and transport soldiers in dangerous areas, and the Ukrainian military is now fighting both Russian and North Korean troops.
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About the writer
Maya Mehrara
Maya Mehrara is a News Reporter at Newsweek based in London, U.K.. Her focus is reporting on international news. She ...
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