BERLIN 

Germany will send Ukraine an additional €400 million ($445 million) in weapons to strengthen Kyiv’s military capabilities, a government spokesman said on Thursday. 

“The German parliament (Bundestag) has agreed to increase funding for military support to Ukraine by around €400 million,” government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

“This will enable the purchase of additional air defense capabilities, tanks, drones, ammunition, and spare parts, which will effectively strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces in defending their country,” he added.

The German parliament’s budget committee approved the funding after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies to step up their military support amid increased Russian strikes targeting the country’s critical infrastructure.

Since the war began in February 2022, Germany has delivered or earmarked €28 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine, according to official figures.

The military assistance included advanced weapons and equipment such as Leopard 2 battle tanks, Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, Marder combat vehicles, and Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems.