German Army Sets First Purchase of Ukrainian Bars Missiles

German defense officials are preparing to sign an agreement in the coming weeks for the Bundeswehr to buy its first batch of Ukrainian-developed Bars missiles. Sources familiar with the plans, cited by the Financial Times and relayed by European Pravda and Ukrainska Pravda, indicate the initial purchase is intended for technical trials scheduled for early 2027.

The missile is jet-powered with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers and a payload capacity of up to 105 kilograms, varying by modification. While Ukrainian operators have referred to the weapon as a drone missile, German military classification lists it as a low-cost cruise missile. If the upcoming trials yield satisfactory results, the German government intends to expand the contract to include several hundred units.

Production of the Bars has recently shifted partly to German soil through a joint Ukrainian-German company that operates under strict secrecy. The first batch of missiles manufactured in Germany, funded by Berlin, was delivered to Ukraine in October. A second batch will now be produced specifically for the German armed forces, marking the first known procurement of Ukrainian-developed offensive weaponry for domestic use.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has identified the Bars as a key weapon in strikes against military bases and energy infrastructure within Russian territory. The acquisition fits into a wider Berlin strategy to build a long-range strike arsenal aimed at strengthening European deterrence against Moscow. Media reports suggest the German government expects to spend nearly 12 billion euros on this new arsenal.

Berlin is simultaneously evaluating other systems, including a small batch of Anthem cruise missiles from the US startup Covenant. The Anthem is priced at roughly one-tenth the cost of a Tomahawk, which ranges from 4 million to 6 million US dollars. One source noted that the Bars is cheaper than the Anthem, though Germany plans to acquire both. Acquisitions of the Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile have been postponed for the time being.

Currently, the Bundeswehr relies solely on the air-launched Taurus cruise missile, which has a range of about 500 kilometers. Plans to purchase BGM-109 Tomahawks and Typhon ground-based launchers from Raytheon face potential delays of up to five years. This gap in long-range capability drives the urgency of the Bars procurement, even as neighboring Denmark announced a one-billion-dollar deal for high-precision long-range missiles earlier this year.