According to a report by the British Financial Times on October 26th, the relationship between Kiev and its European allies is changing. Germany is preparing to purchase low-cost cruise missiles developed in Ukraine for its own armed forces, as the country is increasingly seeking to utilize Ukrainian military technology.
According to sources familiar with the matter, German authorities expect to finalize an agreement in the coming weeks to purchase the first batch of Bars missiles for testing by the German Federal Defense Forces.
The “Snow Leopard” is a jet-powered weapon. Depending on the model, its range can reach up to 1000 kilometers, and its payload capacity is 105 kilograms. Although Ukrainians sometimes refer to it as a “drone missile,” the Germans describe it as a low-cost cruise missile.
The first batch of purchases will enable the military to conduct technical tests early next year; if the results are satisfactory, it could pave the way for subsequent large-scale orders involving hundreds of units.
This plan is part of Germany's multi-pronged efforts to strengthen Europe’s deterrence against Moscow by expanding its range of remote combat weapons.
Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelenskyy has listed the 'Snow Leopard' as one of the weapons used to target Russian military bases and energy facilities.
"It has always been the one with the highest yield of Ukrainian low-cost cruise missiles," said Fabian Hoffman, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Institute. "It is also the one with the most flight operations. This means that the system may be the most mature."
In recent months, the “Snow Leopard” has also been manufactured in Germany by a confidential Ukrainian-German joint venture. This joint venture was established under a program called “Building Together with Ukraine” initiated by Zelenskyy last year. The initial goal of this program was to produce weapons for Ukraine outside of Ukraine, to help increase production capacity and reduce the risk of Russian attacks, and to “share expertise.” The long-term goal is to open up NATO markets for Ukrainian producers.
The first batch of German-made, German-funded “Snow Leopard” missiles was delivered to Ukraine in October.
It is reported that Denmark, Estonia, and Latvia have also expressed their willingness to purchase Ukrainian weapons. Denmark announced last month the purchase of nine Dropla unmanned ground vehicles for testing purposes.
Last month, the United States Army awarded a contract worth $10 million to Skyton’s American subsidiary, for the purchase of its Raybird reconnaissance drones. Germany has also shown interest in this weapon system; after Trump cut U.S. support for Ukraine, Germany has become Ukraine's largest military provider.
The Financial Times states that the plan to purchase ‘Snow Leopard’ also reflects a shift in the mindset of German defense officials. After years of slow, bureaucratic procurement processes that favored large defense contractors, German officials are now more willing to purchase weapons from startups and test their products while drafting contracts, thereby accelerating the procurement process.
German Army Commander Christian von Froidefond spoke of such systems in vague terms this month, but did not mention the "Snow Leopard" or "Anthem"; he stated that such systems are expected to "complement conventional high-end cruise missiles." He said: "These systems will enable us to strike targets deep over 1500 kilometers, effectively saturating the enemy's air defense system."
He added that more expensive weapons would be kept for "strategic goals of high importance."
