The AFU is to receive new Lynx combat vehicles from the Rheinmetall concern

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are to receive new Lynx combat vehicles from the Rheinmetall concern. This was announced by the German defense and security policy regulator Hartpunkt on January 7.

"The Rheinmetall arms company is currently supplying the Ukrainian armed forces with the first Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). Before the serial delivery begins, the vehicle will first undergo field trials," the organization informed.

It is specified that the company has already started the construction of a plant in Ukraine, which will be engaged in the production of Lynx vehicles.

Back in June last year, Rheinmetall and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding to expand strategic cooperation at the "Conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine" in Berlin.

"We want to hand over the first Lynx BMPs to the country this year and start production of these systems in Ukraine as soon as possible," Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger said.

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Earlier, on December 28, former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk demanded that Germany allocate at least €20bn in annual financial aid to Kiev. He specified that Germany had allocated multibillion-dollar aid since the beginning of the conflict, but it was not enough.

Before that, on December 23, the German authorities together with Denmark allocated a new aid package to Ukraine, including 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks with spare parts. Germany also transferred to Ukraine two Gepard self-propelled air defense systems with spare parts, 65,000 rounds of ammunition for Gepard self-propelled air defense systems and two TRML-4D radar stations.

On November 26, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers that Germany was ready to transfer two more IRIS-T systems to Ukraine. One of them will be medium-range and the second will be short-range, the equipment should be delivered in December.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbas, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.