Ukraine needs German U-boats, frigate to 'kick out' Russians from Black Sea: Kyiv official

After Germany's Leopard 2 tanks, Ukraine is now in need of German-made submarines and possibly even a decommissioned frigate to "kick the Russian fleet out of the Black Sea," said Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s former ambassador to Germany. In a series of tweets, Melnyk pointed out that Germany (ThyssenKrupp) produces one of the world’s best submarines, and since the country has six such U-boats, they can send one to Ukraine.

"The Bundeswehr has six such U-boats. Why not send one to Ukraine?" he asked. He further went on to say, "It is not wishful thinking, but my personal experience. As consul general in Hamburg, I was on board [a] U-212A at marine base Eckernforde in 2008. Really huge! One admiral told me: "You need one submarine to keep the Russian Black Sea fleet in check."

'NATO must come up with a master plan to defeat Russia,' says Ukrainian official

He further asked Berlin to provide its recently decommissioned Lubeck frigate, "or at least its weaponry like [the] Sea Sparrow [shipborne short-range anti-missile system] and Harpoon [anti-ship] missiles." Melnyk, who was Ukraine’s ambassador in Berlin until October 2022, called on Ukraine's NATO "allies" to come up with a "master plan on how to DEFEAT Russia with tightly coordinated shipments of modern weapons, including fighter jets and submarines," instead of worrying about escalating the war.

Melnyk has a history of making hateful remarks against German politicians. Earlier, he called Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "offended liverwurst" for delaying his visit to Kyiv. On several occasions, he has criticised the German government for its slow response in providing military aid to Ukraine. Earlier in 2021, he had warned that Ukraine would start building its own nuclear systems if it wasn't allowed to join NATO.

It is pertinent to mention here that after Germany and the US approved the delivery of Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks this week, Zelenksyy has asked NATO to deliver "aircraft to Ukraine" after most of its airspace was destroyed by Russian troops. This development has come at a time when European diplomats and Pentagon officials are reportedly already lobbying to provide F-16s to Ukraine as the west's military aid continues to shift the conflict towards further escalation.

Image: AP