Germany will buy Ukrainian-made Bars cruise missiles for its armed forces, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
An initial batch is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, allowing the Bundeswehr to begin technical trials early in 2027. If tests succeed, Berlin may order several hundred missiles. The Bars has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers and carries a payload of up to 105 kilograms, according to the FT. Ukraine has used the weapon to strike military facilities and energy infrastructure in Russia.
The missile is the most widely produced of Ukraine’s low-cost cruise missiles, experts told the FT. It accounts for the largest number of launches and its use has been thoroughly refined in combat. Germany already produces the Bars at a joint Ukrainian-German enterprise created under the Build with Ukraine program, and Ukraine received the first batch from that facility this month.
The purchase would be the first known instance of the Bundeswehr acquiring an offensive weapon of Ukrainian design for its own use. Politico reported in late August that Berlin plans to spend almost €12 billion on a long-range arsenal to deter Russia, including €1.8 billion on low-cost cruise missiles. The Bars and Flamingo missiles from Ukraine, and a design from American-Israeli startup Covenant Industries, were under consideration.
NATO members are increasingly looking at Ukrainian military technology, the FT noted. Denmark, Estonia and Latvia have also said they are ready to buy Ukrainian weapons.
