WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday announced the approval of a $1.23 billion sale of up to 400 advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to NATO ally Germany.
“The proposed sale will improve Germany’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing increased air-to-air capability for the German F-35 program and supporting German and shared NATO planning, training, and operational requirements,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.
It will also “support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” DSCA said.
The State Department approved the possible sale of the missiles to Germany and DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.
The US announcement came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to take “all necessary measures to ensure effective deterrence against... violations of airspace and other attacks by the Russian military.”
Recent weeks have seen Russia send fighter jets and drones into the airspace of NATO members Poland and Romania, followed by suspicious drone flights near airports in Denmark and Norway.
Merz’s government has also blamed Moscow for multiple drone sightings over German military and industrial sites.
![]()
US approves $1.2bn missile sale to Germany
Short Url
https://arab.news/psw4z
US approves $1.2bn missile sale to Germany
- Deal will increase air-to-air capability for Germany’s F-35 program
- US Congress still needs to sign off on the transaction
Explosions rock Ukrainian capital ahead of planned talks in Geneva
KYIV: Several explosions shook central Kyiv early Thursday, AFP journalists heard, after officials warned of air raids in the Ukrainian capital ahead of planned talks in Geneva with US representatives on ending the Russian war.
Washington is pushing to bring an end to the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and destroyed swathes of territory, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported high-speed targets heading toward Kyiv shortly before Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, said Russia was attacking the city with strike drones and ballistic missiles.
“Air defense is operating. Stay in shelters until the alert is cleared!” he said on Telegram.
The attacks were not limited to the capital.
In the northeast, Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov said two blasts were heard in the city as Russian Shahed drones targeted the area, warning residents to stay in shelters with “drones and missiles flying toward the city.”
Terekhov later reported a “combined air attack” with impacts in the Shevchenkivsky and Kyivsky districts.
In the southeast, Zaporizhzhia regional chief Ivan Fedorov said the city had come under attack, reporting several explosions and at least one person wounded.
In Kryvyi Rig, Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration, said a Russian strike wounded an 89-year-old man and sparked a fire that damaged a high-rise building.
Ukraine has faced repeated overnight barrages in recent months as Russia targets cities with missiles and drones amid harsh winter conditions.
Washington is pushing to bring an end to the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and destroyed swathes of territory, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported high-speed targets heading toward Kyiv shortly before Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, said Russia was attacking the city with strike drones and ballistic missiles.
“Air defense is operating. Stay in shelters until the alert is cleared!” he said on Telegram.
The attacks were not limited to the capital.
In the northeast, Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov said two blasts were heard in the city as Russian Shahed drones targeted the area, warning residents to stay in shelters with “drones and missiles flying toward the city.”
Terekhov later reported a “combined air attack” with impacts in the Shevchenkivsky and Kyivsky districts.
In the southeast, Zaporizhzhia regional chief Ivan Fedorov said the city had come under attack, reporting several explosions and at least one person wounded.
In Kryvyi Rig, Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration, said a Russian strike wounded an 89-year-old man and sparked a fire that damaged a high-rise building.
Ukraine has faced repeated overnight barrages in recent months as Russia targets cities with missiles and drones amid harsh winter conditions.
Latest updates
© 2026 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.