CHISINAU. May 31 (Interfax) - Moldova will receive another 14 Mowag Piranha armored fighting vehicles and individual air defense systems next year, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is on a visit to Chisinau, said at a press conference on Friday.
"An agreement has been signed on providing Moldova with a new shipment of Piranha armored vehicles and logistical transport in 2025. A new shipment of medical equipment for the National Army will also be provided. Moldova will also receive an air defense system next year to protect its airspace from drones and other objects," Pistorius said.
Taking questions from journalists, Pistorius said, "This will be an individual air defense system, as large systems are currently needed for Ukraine," he said.
Germany transferred 19 Piranha III armored fighting vehicles to Moldova last year under an agreement reached during then German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht's visit to Chisinau in November 2022. Germany gave Moldova Danish vehicles manufactured in Switzerland and equipped with a number of German-made units and assemblies. Switzerland had previously blocked the transfer of those vehicles to Ukraine, referring to a constitutional ban on sending military equipment to countries involved in armed conflicts.