Kiev, 21 June 2022 (dpa/MIA) - The first delivery of German heavy weaponry has arrived in Ukraine, with Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov thanking his German counterpart on Twitter for the self-propelled howitzers. Reznikov described the delivery as "an example of international cooperation in support of Ukraine," adding that he appreciated the efforts of the defence ministers of Germany and the Netherlands, Christine Lambrecht and Kajsa Ollongren, respectively. The German government came under criticism in recent weeks, initially for its hesitation to pledge sophisticated weaponry and later for its perceived sluggishness in delivering those weapons. Berlin insisted that this was due to required changes to defence industry protocols and making sure that Ukrainian soldiers received the proper training to use the weapons in question.