Ukraine receives new German IRIS-T air defence launcher amid continued Russian missile and drone attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine received a new IRIS-T air defence launcher from Germany, according to Reuters, further strengthening Kyiv's efforts to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from Russian missile and drone strikes."Ukraine received a new IRIS-T air defence launcher from Germany yesterday," Zelenskyy said, highlighting Berlin's continued military support for Ukraine.The latest delivery adds to Germany's previous transfers of IRIS-T systems. In August 2023, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had received two additional IRIS-T launchers, describing them as a key addition to the country's air defence network."Two new IRIS-T launchers have been delivered to Ukraine. This is a powerful and much-needed air defense system," he said at the time.The IRIS-T SLM is a German-made medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Diehl Defence. It is designed to intercept a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, drones and precision-guided munitions.The system has an engagement range of up to 40 kilometres and can intercept targets at altitudes of up to 20 kilometres. A typical IRIS-T battery includes missile launchers, a TRML-4D radar, a command-and-control unit and support vehicles.The radar detects incoming threats and transmits targeting information to the command centre, while missiles receive mid-course updates before using an infrared imaging seeker to lock onto and destroy targets.Ukraine has relied heavily on IRIS-T systems since 2022 to defend urban centres and critical infrastructure against Russian aerial attacks. The system has earned a reputation for effectively intercepting cruise missiles and Iranian-designed Shahed drones frequently deployed by Russian forces.Germany remains one of Ukraine's largest military backers and has supplied multiple air defence systems as Kyiv seeks to reinforce its layered air-defence network against ongoing missile and drone barrages.