German weapons in moldy chests unusable for Ukraine

Hundreds of weapons that Germany would supply to Ukraine are useless. German media report that some of the anti-aircraft missiles intended for the Ukrainians were kept in moldy chests. The at least 35-year-old rockets would have been rejected ten years ago.

These are Strela anti-aircraft missiles developed by the Soviet Union and once belonging to the army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). 2,700 of these anti-aircraft missiles would be delivered, but at least 700 are unusable, according to the German weekly Der Spiegel.

The missiles were said to have been rejected in 2012 because of tiny cracks that can lead to corrosion, among other things. According to Der Spiegel, the wooden boxes in which the missiles are kept are currently in very bad condition. The weekly reports that soldiers who had to remove the weapons from storage used protective equipment because of the fungus.

The German Defense Ministry has not responded to the revelations of the weekly. Earlier this week, 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 anti-aircraft missiles from German army stock were delivered to Ukraine.