Zelensky requests more IRIS-T air defence systems from Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked Germany to supply additional IRIS-T air-defence systems to counter heavy Russian drone and missile attacks.

He was discussing this issue with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul during a meeting in the Ukrainian capital, Zelensky told reporters on Monday.

At the start of his first visit to Kiev since taking office in early May, Wadephul inspected an IRIS-T air-defence installation which plays a crucial role in Kiev fending off Russian attacks.

As of April, Germany has provided Ukraine with six of these systems and has promised an additional 10.

Wadephul was accompanied on his surprise trip to Kiev by senior representatives of German defence companies.

During his meeting with Wadephul, Zelensky expressed interest in expanding defence cooperation between the two countries. He mentioned that up to 20 new partnerships could be concluded in the coming days, though he did not provide further details.

The German foreign minister described it as a win-win situation that German defence companies are already active in Ukraine, while Ukrainian firms are also operating in Germany.

"We are learning from this. Both sides benefit and demonstrate that our security is interconnected, and we can also benefit economically from this. That is a good thing, and we want to expand it overall," Wadephul added.