Four years of Gepard in Ukraine: How the vintage German weapon is proving its worth
Germany announced the delivery of Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago, marking the first heavy weapons of Western design that Berlin supplied from its own stocks. On 26 April 2022, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht confirmed the decision on the sidelines of a meeting of around 40 supporting states at Ramstein airbase. The systems came from industrial stocks and the export had been approved the day before, Lambrecht said at the time. Germany has since delivered at least 55 Gepard systems to Ukraine, where they have become an integral part of the country’s air defence. The announcement came shortly after Russian massacres in Bucha became known following the town’s liberation by Ukrainian forces at the end of March 2022. Before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Germany had offered to supply 5,000 helmets to Ukraine — a response that drew widespread criticism. The Gepard was the first heavy weaponry Germany delivered without a so-called ring exchange, in which Berlin would supply weapons to a third country that would …
