Germany negotiates purchase of Ukrainian Bars jet-powered strike drones

Berlin is currently negotiating a procurement deal with Kyiv for Bars jet-powered drones, according to a German official familiar with the talks. The drones boast a 1,000-kilometre range and speeds of up to 700 kilometres per hour, and Ukraine reports launching roughly 2,000 of them monthly against Russian oil refineries, power plants and substations. The discussion builds on a July 2026 joint production agreement under the Build with Ukraine programme, wherein Germany would finance manufacturing and all completed units would be transferred to the Ukrainian military.

German defence planning emphasises using vast quantities of low-cost missiles to overwhelm hostile air defences, complementing its existing Taurus cruise missile inventory. The move also reflects Germany’s growing role as Ukraine’s largest foreign partner in defence technology, highlighted by a recent Kyiv School of Economics Institute report noting 36 German-Ukrainian joint ventures.