German defence ministry cuts Ukraine's weapons supply list by half: Report

The German Defense Ministry has cut by half the list of weaponry that can be supplied to Ukraine drafted by the German defense industry, striking off all heavy weapons, the German newspaper BILD reported on Wednesday, citing a copy of the final document.

The changes were initiated by the Office of the German Chancellor, the outlet said. The German defense industry had previously expressed readiness to supply many of now canceled weaponry in short- or mid-term perspective.

The final list, initially suggested by Kiev to the German authorities for consideration, has been cut down from 48 to 24 pages, Bild said. The final version includes only three out of 15 types of weaponry requested by Ukraine, with some of them having possible alternatives indicated, according to the newspaper.

Earlier in the day, Scholz confirmed that Germany was considering the list of weapons that could been delivered to Ukraine as part of Berlin's military assistance to Kiev. He pledged to proceed with the payments for weaponry supplied shortly after the decision on the final list is made, with "no more waiting."

At the same time, Germany has repeatedly declined to supply Ukraine with particular weaponry it had requested, including heavy arms and artillery weapons. Earlier in the month, Germany denied Kiev's plea for Marder infantry fighting vehicles, but delivered around 500 Stingers, nearly 2,000 Strela anti-aircraft missiles and over 1,000 anti-tank weapons.

Since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, the West, including Germany, have been supplying Ukraine with various types of lethal weaponry, including heavy arms, such as anti-tank missiles, fighter jets, missile systems and armored vehicles. Nevertheless, German authorities, particularly Scholz, have been criticized by Kiev and some Western allies for insufficient military support for Ukraine and for not taking a strong enough stance against Russia.