Germany to Sign Deal for 1,000 km Ukrainian Missiles

German officials are preparing to sign a contract in the coming weeks to acquire an initial batch of Ukrainian-made Bars missiles, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. The Bundeswehr intends to conduct technical trials on the systems in early 2027. If the tests yield satisfactory results, Berlin may expand the purchase to several hundred units.

The Bars is a jet-powered weapon with a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers and a payload capacity of up to 105 kilograms. While Ukrainian operators sometimes refer to it as a drone missile, the German military classifies it as a low-cost cruise missile. This procurement represents the first time the Bundeswehr has bought Ukrainian-developed offensive weaponry for its own operational needs.

Production of the missile has recently moved to German soil through a joint Ukrainian-German company. Operations of this venture have remained largely confidential. The first batch of missiles manufactured in Germany, funded by the German side, was delivered to Ukraine in October. The joint venture will now begin producing units for the German armed forces.

The acquisition fits into a wider German strategy to build a long-range strike arsenal to strengthen European deterrence against Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously described the Bars as one of the weapons used to target military bases and energy infrastructure on Russian territory. Media reports indicate Berlin expects to spend nearly 12 billion euros on this new inventory of long-range weapons.

Germany is also planning to buy and test a small batch of Anthem cruise missiles produced by the US startup Covenant. The Anthem is priced at roughly one-tenth the cost of a Tomahawk, which ranges from 4 million to 6 million US dollars. One source noted that the Bars is cheaper than the Anthem, but Germany intends to purchase both systems. Plans to acquire the Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile have been postponed for the time being.

Currently, the German armed forces rely on the air-launched Taurus cruise missile, which has a range of about 500 kilometers. The German plan to purchase BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles and Typhon ground-based launchers from Raytheon faces potential delays of up to five years. Denmark recently announced a one billion dollar deal to buy high-precision long-range missiles, marking the first such procurement in its history.