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Germany Pledges Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Ukraine 


FILE - Technical sergeants of the German Air Force attach a new air-to-air missile IRIS-T (Infraread Imaging System - Tail/Thrust Vector Controlled) on a Eurofighter aircraft at the Fighter wing 73 airforce base in Laage, northern Germany, Dec. 5, 2005.
FILE - Technical sergeants of the German Air Force attach a new air-to-air missile IRIS-T (Infraread Imaging System - Tail/Thrust Vector Controlled) on a Eurofighter aircraft at the Fighter wing 73 airforce base in Laage, northern Germany, Dec. 5, 2005.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged to send Ukraine high-tech anti-aircraft systems as Germany looks to quell criticism from opposition members that it hasn't provided enough military aid in the fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion.

Speaking to lawmakers in Berlin on Wednesday, Scholz said the government had approved a proposal to ship IRIS-T missiles and radar systems to Kyiv as Russia continues to pound targets in eastern Ukraine.

The goal is to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not win" the war he started in Ukraine, Scholz said.

"Our goal is for Ukraine to be able to defend itself and succeed in doing so," he added.

Russia has stepped up its offensive to take further ground in areas where Moscow-backed separatists already have a foothold as Western nations rush to get weapons to Ukraine, which lacks the firepower of Russia.

FILE - US military forces fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rocket during the annual Philippines-US live fire amphibious landing exercise (PHIBLEX) at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac province, north of Manila, Philippines, Oct. 10, 2016.
FILE - US military forces fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rocket during the annual Philippines-US live fire amphibious landing exercise (PHIBLEX) at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac province, north of Manila, Philippines, Oct. 10, 2016.

Scholz's announcement comes hours after U.S. President Joe Biden said Washington will provide Ukraine with advanced rocket systems that can strike with precision at targets up to 80 kilometers away.

The rocket system known as HIMARS, can be used both to intercept Russian artillery and to take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Syevyerodonetsk.

Some information came from Reuters.

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