Germany found a way to arm Ukraine faster: how a secret special headquarters works
Фото: bmvg.de
The German Ministry of Defense has a small, secretive unit responsible for quickly procuring weapons for Ukraine. The Sonderstab Ukraine team can conclude arms deals in just two weeks, bypassing some of the traditional German bureaucracy.
The Financial Times writes about this.
The unit operates under the highest security wing of the German Ministry of Defense. Some of the newspaper’s interlocutors call it a “guerrilla unit.”
Sonderstab Ukraine employs fewer than 20 people. The team is led by Brigadier General Joachim Kashke, a former Tornado fighter pilot.
“We have extremely short decision-making chains. This makes us mobile and flexible,” explained Kashke.
The unit was created in 2022, a few months after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Initially, it was a situation center that monitored the course of the war and reported to the German political leadership.
In July 2022, it was transformed into Sonderstab Ukraine. The team began directly looking for ways to quickly provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons.
One of the main advantages of the unit was the ability to avoid the lengthy procedures that apply to procurement for the Bundeswehr. Ukraine reports what weapons it needs, after which the German side seeks out the appropriate systems and pays for them. Since the contracts are concluded by the Ukrainian side, some of the German procurement procedures can be bypassed.
According to the publication, it was Sonderstab Ukraine that was behind a number of important decisions regarding the supply of weapons. Among them are the purchase of Quantum Systems reconnaissance drones for Ukraine and the financing of the first IRIS-T air defense system.
Germany was particularly impressed by the way the Ukrainian military used Quantum Systems drones. The Ukrainians combined the five drones they received with the Starlink system and used them to identify targets for artillery.
“It was then that we first understood what the Ukrainians’ success was: they used exactly these solutions,” said reserve officer Matthias Puschnig.
After that, Berlin began paying for new deliveries of these drones, as well as purchasing other weapons directly from German manufacturers.
Over time, Sonderstab Ukraine became more than just a procurement unit. The unit became a channel for exchanging experience between Ukrainian and German military and defense companies. Germany gained Ukrainian combat experience, particularly in the use and counteraction of drones.
Berlin also gains access to battlefield data, including information from the Ukrainian Delta system, which combines data from satellites, sensors, drones, and intercepted Russian communications.
Germany is currently one of the largest military donors to Ukraine. According to the publication, this year Berlin has allocated 11.5 billion euros for military assistance to Kyiv. In total, since the start of the full-scale war, Germany has spent about 58 billion euros on arms for Ukraine.
Kashke emphasizes that his team’s main task is to keep up with rapid changes on the battlefield.
“With every shot they can adjust their systems and tactics. Our systems must keep up with this development,” he said.
As a reminder, Germany will transfer to Ukraine additional PAC-2 interceptor missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems directly from Bundeswehr warehouses. They are intended to strengthen Ukrainian air defense before winter.
By the way, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Germany’s accusations against Moscow over the drone incident at Leipzig airport “the beginning of a real war.” He also accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of allegedly intending to declare war on Russia.
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