Germany is preparing to purchase low-cost cruise missiles developed in Ukraine for its own armed forces, marking a significant shift in military cooperation between Kyiv and its European allies. German authorities are expected to finalize a deal in the coming weeks to acquire an initial batch of the Bars missile for testing by the Bundeswehr. The Bars missile, meaning 'snow leopard' in Ukrainian, is a jet-powered weapon with a range of up to 1,000km and a payload of up to 105kg.
While Ukraine refers to it as a 'drone missile,' Germany classifies it as a low-cost cruise missile. The initial purchase will allow the German military to conduct technical trials early next year, potentially leading to a larger order of several hundred missiles if results are satisfactory. This plan is part of Germany's broader effort to strengthen European deterrence against Moscow by enhancing its long-range strike capabilities.
The Bars missile is regularly used by Ukraine to target military bases and energy facilities in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has highlighted Bars as one of the key weapons used in these strikes. Fabian Hoffmann, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, noted that Bars is the most mass-produced low-cost Ukrainian cruise missile, with the most flight data available, making it the most mature system.
In recent months, Bars has also been produced in Germany through a Ukrainian-German joint venture established under the 'Build with Ukraine' scheme launched by Zelenskyy last year. The initiative aims to produce weapons for Ukraine outside the country, increasing capacity and reducing vulnerability to Russian attacks while sharing expertise. A longer-term goal is to open NATO markets to Ukrainian producers.
The first batch of German-made and German-funded Bars missiles was delivered to Ukraine in October. The joint venture is now set to also produce for Germany, marking the first known purchase of an offensive weapon developed in Ukraine for the Bundeswehr's own use. This trend is growing, with NATO nations like Denmark, Estonia, and Latvia expressing interest in Ukrainian technology.
Denmark recently announced plans to buy nine Dropla unmanned ground vehicles for testing, and the US Army awarded a $10 million contract to the Ukrainian company Skyeton for its Raybird reconnaissance drone. Germany, now the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine since US support was reduced under President Trump, has also expressed interest in the system. The plan to acquire Bars reflects changing mindsets among German defense officials, who are increasingly open to purchasing weapons from startups and testing products concurrently with contract development to speed up acquisition.
Germany is building up its long-range weapon stocks as part of a €780 billion rearmament drive over the next five years, in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and concerns over US security guarantees for Europe under Trump. Berlin has signed an initial deal to purchase high-end Tomahawk missiles from US defense giant Raytheon, after Trump canceled plans to deploy a US battalion in Germany equipped with cruise missiles. However, Tomahawks are expensive, making the Bars missile a more cost-effective alternative.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing