United to win: Germany to relocate repair center for Ukrainian military equipment from Slovakia by 2024

Germany has decided to relocate the maintenance center currently located in Slovakia, which services Ukrainian military equipment, to its own territory by the end of 2024.

Ntv reported that.

A German Ministry of Defense spokesman said the process should be completed by December 31 of this year.

The defense ministry also stated that the Service Center faced difficulties in organizing and operating processes at the Slovak facility.

According to German officials, Slovakia has repeatedly demonstrated "clumsiness" in organizing the center's work.

Discrepancies in the interpretation of European customs rules and difficulties in carrying out major repairs of damaged equipment were also among the key problems.

It should be noted that the Center began operating in Slovakia at the end of 2022 and provided repairs to key types of equipment for Ukraine's armed forces, in particular:

• Panzerhaubitze 2000 (self-propelled howitzers),
• Dingo (armored vehicles),
• MARS II (missile systems),
• Gepard (anti-aircraft installations).

Despite the center's relocation, Germany emphasizes that repairing and maintaining military equipment remains a priority for Ukraine.

It was also noted there that other German repair centers are already operating in Lithuania and on the territory of Ukraine, servicing the military equipment provided to Ukraine's armed forces.

It's important to mention that delegations from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and Germany met in August to discuss the delivery and maintenance of weapons and military equipment and the future growth of Ukraine's armed forces.

For reference:

Germany is one of Ukraine's key partners in the defense sector, especially in the context of protecting the sky from Russian attacks.

At a briefing in Berlin, the spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense, Mitko Müller, said that Scholz's announcement of 650 million euros in military aid upon his arrival in the Ukrainian capital is part of a larger package worth 1.4 billion euros promised in October.

The German government also officially confirmed financing the supply of 30 unmanned ground-based complexes (UGV) GEREON RCS for the Ukrainian army.

Effective immediately, an agreement has been reached with Germany to enhance Ukraine's air defense capabilities. This agreement includes provisions for the participating countries to contribute to joint projects or fund their projects dedicated to strengthening the air defense capabilities of Ukraine's armed forces. As a result, Ukraine will receive the sixth IRIS-T air defense system from Germany by the end of this year.

In addition, Germany plans to provide Ukraine with new technological support. In particular, the German company Helsing will supply Ukraine with 4 thousand drones with artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not believe it necessary to train the Ukrainian military on how to use Taurus missiles, as he has no intention of transferring them to Kyiv. Additionally, there are no plans to send Bundeswehr soldiers to Ukraine after the war concludes.