Germany Will Purchase Ukrainian "Bars" Cruise Missiles

• 26.10.2026, 15:32

In early 2027, the German military plans to conduct technical tests of the missiles.

Germany is preparing to purchase "Bars" cruise missiles developed in Ukraine. This was reported by Financial Times citing sources familiar with the German government’s plans. The deal to purchase the first batch is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

In early 2027, the German military intends to conduct technical tests of the missiles. If these tests are successful, Germany may place a larger order for several hundred units. According to the FT, this would mark Germany’s first known purchase of Ukrainian-developed offensive weapons.

Development of the “Bars” began in 2023. Formally, the system is classified as an unmanned aerial vehicle, but the developers refer to it as a cruise missile. According to them, the range reaches 1,000 kilometers, the speed exceeds 700 kilometers per hour, and the warhead weighs nearly 60 kilograms. Artificial intelligence technologies are used in its development and production, including machine vision for target acquisition.

The “Bars” is also used to intercept Russian aerial targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the effectiveness of such interceptions is about 30%. There is no independent confirmation of this estimate.

As a Ukrainian source told the BBC, the missile is being developed by a private company that recently established a joint venture in Germany. The joint venture operates under the Berlin-funded “Build with Ukraine” program. Initially, the program was designed to manufacture Ukrainian weapons outside the country to expand production capacity and reduce the risk of Russian strikes. In the long term, it is also intended to give Ukrainian manufacturers access to NATO markets.

The first batch of missiles produced by the joint venture was delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in October 2026. Zelenskyy had previously announced plans to acquire 2,000 such missiles.