Under pressure, Germany announces heavy weapons for Ukraine.

Germany said Tuesday that it would send Ukraine several dozen armored antiaircraft vehicles, a major policy change after a debate over the transfer of heavy weapons that has divided the government.

Germany’s defense minister, Christine Lambrecht, made the announcement at a meeting of allied countries at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany.

The used vehicles, called “Gepard Flakpanzer,” are designed for air defense but can also be used against targets on the ground. The system was designed during the Cold War but has since been updated.

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, a German arms manufacturer, said it had about 50 of the vehicles — which have radar and guns built atop a tank hull — ready to deploy and would supply them directly to Ukraine. Read more

@nytimes