By the end of this year, Germany will supply 1 IRIS-T unit to Ukraine and 12 Gepard air defense systems. These weapons will protect the Black Sea and Danube port infrastructure of Ukraine. It will also help to strengthen the protection of grain ships traveling along the southwestern part of the Black Sea coast of Ukraine in the direction of Romania. If necessary, Germany assured that it would produce additional IRIS-T units, with their subsequent supply to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russia cannot carry out a full-fledged naval blockade of the northwestern part of the Black Sea, just as it cannot commit aggressive actions against cargo ships flying the flag of third countries travelling to Ukrainian ports. Russian warships would be easy targets for Ukrainian missiles, hence missile and drone strikes became the only way for the Kremlin to prevent grain exports from Ukraine, which were resumed unilaterally. Thus, in recent days, several ships with Ukrainian grain and food left the Black Sea ports of Ukraine in the direction of the Bosphorus. This was yet another public humiliation of Putin and evidence of the weakness of the Russian army.
The provision of additional air defense systems for the Ukrainian Armed Forces has thus been an evidence of the support of the international community for Ukraine’s efforts aimed at preventing world hunger. Putin’s intention to create a food crisis in the world must fail: Western air defense systems must reliably protect the resumed export of grain from Ukraine. This is a way to avoid global hunger and prevent the flow of illegal migrants into Europe.