The German Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday that “a shipment of thousands of rounds of ammunition” sure for the armed forces was stolen from a civilian contractor’s trailer last week.
A spokesperson advised NCS that the ammunition was stolen “from the trailer of the civilian carrier’s transport vehicle, which had been parked overnight” between November 24 and 25.
On November 28, the military found that the cargo was lacking roughly 20,000 rounds of ammunition, the spokesperson mentioned, with out offering additional particulars.
The military is investigating the theft with the assistance of native police, the German Armed Forces mentioned in an announcement despatched to NCS.
A Defense Ministry spokesperson advised German journal Der Spiegel on Tuesday that the military is taking the theft “very seriously.”
“This kind of ammunition must not fall into the wrong hands,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Other ammunition losses have occurred in Germany this 12 months, although none on the dimensions of last week’s heist. German public broadcaster ARD reported in August that round 90 rounds of ammunition were misplaced from a police station in Saxony-Anhalt.
The theft comes simply as Germany is making an attempt to beef up its armed forces after years of sluggish investment and cultural discomfort with the nation’s military. A week earlier than the heist, Germany’s coalition authorities put ahead a invoice to develop the military’s staffing to 260,000 troopers, up from round 180,000 presently, along with an additional 200,000 reservists, by 2035.
The militaristic push comes as Germany stays a top ammo supplier for Ukraine. In late August, German producer Rheinmetall opened what it claims is Europe’s largest ammunition manufacturing facility to maintain up with demand.
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