Germany will supply Ukraine with seven self-propelled howitzers, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said, Reuters reported.

The heavy weapons will be removed from Bundeswehr warehouses and delivered as soon as they undergo maintenance in the coming weeks.

"We have to confront the Russian aggression, we have to support Ukraine in this fight, in this war," Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said at a joint news conference with Lambrecht.

Kiev has requested 12 howitzers and quick training to quickly deploy the weapons to the battlefield, Ollongren said at the Sliac airbase, where the Germans and the Dutch have deployed Patriot missile defense batteries.

The training of the first group of some 20 Ukrainian troops on the Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzer is expected to start next week in the German town of Idar-Oberstein, Zorn said. These soldiers had experience in operating Soviet-built howitzers.

Berlin will also supply an initial set of ammunition for the howitzer manufactured by German defense company KMW, and further ammunition purchases will be made directly between Kiev and industry.

The Panzerhaubitze 2000 is one of the most powerful artillery weapons in Bundeswehr inventories and can hit targets at a distance of 40 km (25 miles).

Last week, Germany agreed for the first time to supply Kiev with heavy weapons, in this case Gepard air defense tanks.