German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius may have inadvertently disclosed previously unconfirmed details about the delivery of RCH-155 self-propelled artillery systems to Ukraine, according to Bild.
Berlin had not officially confirmed that the weapons had been transferred to Kiev. The only publicly known detail was that Ukrainian personnel had trained in Germany to operate the new equipment.
During a visit to the KNDS facility in Kassel, Pistorius said the wheeled howitzer had received approval in Ukraine. Journalists also reported that the first such system had stood at the site around two years earlier before being sent to Ukraine.
Bild interpreted the remarks as evidence that the artillery systems had already been on Ukrainian territory for a considerable time. It remains unclear whether they have been used in combat.
The RCH-155 is regarded as one of the most advanced self-propelled artillery systems in its class. It can fire accurately while moving and search for its next target at the same time.
The system can fire up to nine rounds per minute. It is built on the eight-wheeled Boxer armoured personnel carrier chassis and fitted with an unmanned turret carrying a 155 mm rifled gun.