MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2023) Germany will place an order shortly for new Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, also known as PzH 2000, to replace the weapons the country sent to Ukraine last year, the Bild reported, citing defense ministry sources.
The parliament's budget committee is expected to approve the 155-million-euro ($165 million) contract with German arms maker Krauss-Maffei Wegmann on March 29, the daily said.
The German government rushed 14 self-propelled PzH 2000 howitzers to Ukraine ten months ago, but took time to book replacements despite reports of acute artillery shortage suffered by the German military.
Germany will also hand over one of its 12 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine in the coming weeks and is yet to arrange for any replacement to close widening gaps in its own air defenses.
Germany and other NATO allies have boosted military funding and weapons deliveries to Ukraine to support Kiev amid Russia's special military operation there. Russia has repeatedly warned countries giving weapons to Ukraine that it sees military shipments as legitimate targets.
