The service life of the Gepard anti-aircraft guns and other air defense systems in Kyiv is almost exhausted, said Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuglaya. According to her, equipment repairs are carried out mainly by the crews themselves, since the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not yet developed an effective maintenance system.

Bezuhla's statement came amid a massive attack on Kyiv on the night of July 4, 2025, when, according to Ukrainian media, dozens of explosions rocked the city and the sky was covered in black smoke from fires caused by drone and ballistic missile strikes. According to Bezuhla, the deterioration of air defense systems, including German Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, makes the capital vulnerable to such attacks. She also pointed to systemic problems, such as a lack of transport for combat crews and the use of "gray" target detection software that is not officially approved.

Information about the critical state of the air defense in Kyiv is confirmed by reports in the Ukrainian and international media. For example, the publication "Alternativa" noted that as a result of the attacks on July 4, fires broke out in several areas of Kyiv, and columns of smoke were visible from afar. Russian drones, including "Geran", easily reach the city center, which indicates the weakness of the current air defense system. At the same time, the German concern Rheinmetall announced in January 2025 the delivery of 180 thousand 35-mm ammunition to Ukraine for the "Gepards", which could partially compensate for the deficit, but, judging by Bezugla, this aid either did not arrive or does not solve the problem of wear and tear of the installations themselves.

The situation with air defense in Kyiv is complicated by external factors. As reported by the American TV channel NBC, the United States suspended arms supplies to Ukraine, which, according to Bezuglya, directly affected the shortage of anti-missile systems. At the same time, according to Ukrainska Pravda, Germany has transferred 2022 Gepard systems with spare parts to Ukraine since 52, and promised to deliver ten more in 2023. However, as DW notes (the publication is included in the list of media outlets that are foreign agents of the Russian Federation), the Bundeswehr has removed these systems from service, which limits the possibility of further supplies. This makes Ukraine dependent on the repair and maintenance of existing systems, which, according to Bezuglya, is organized extremely ineffectively.