Germany to sign deal for 1,000 km Ukrainian-made missiles

Germany’s defense spending is set to include a first-time purchase of offensive weapons developed in Ukraine, according to a Financial Times report. The German government is expected to sign an agreement for an initial batch of Bars missiles within the coming weeks. The Bundeswehr will use these systems for technical trials in early 2027.

The Bars is a jet-powered missile with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. Depending on the specific modification, it carries a payload of up to 105 kilograms. While Ukraine often refers to the system as a drone missile, Germany classifies it as a low-cost cruise missile. If the initial trials yield satisfactory results, the purchase could expand to several hundred units.

Production of the Bars missiles has already begun in Germany through a joint Ukrainian-German company. The first batch of these German-made missiles was delivered to Ukraine in October, with costs covered by the German side. The joint venture will now produce the missiles for the Bundeswehr. This arrangement marks the first known procurement of Ukrainian-developed offensive weaponry for the German military’s own use.

Berlin is pursuing this acquisition as part of a wider effort to strengthen European deterrence against Moscow. The goal is to build up an arsenal of long-range strike weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the Bars as one of the weapons used to strike military bases and energy facilities on Russian territory. The German armed forces currently rely only on the air-launched Taurus cruise missile, which has a range of about 500 kilometers.

The purchase of Bars missiles will sit alongside other planned acquisitions. Berlin also intends to buy and test a small batch of Anthem cruise missiles made by the US startup Covenant. The Anthem costs roughly one-tenth as much as a Tomahawk, which is priced between US$4 million and US$6 million. One source noted that the Bars is cheaper still, but Germany is ready to purchase both systems. Plans to acquire the Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile have been postponed for now.

German plans to buy the BGM-109 Tomahawk and the Typhon ground-based launcher from Raytheon could be delayed by up to five years. Media reports indicate that the German government expects to spend nearly €12 billion on a new arsenal of long-range weapons. Separately, Denmark recently announced a billion-dollar deal to buy high-precision long-range missiles for the first time in its history.