Firefighters have not been able to put out the fire at the metallurgical unit of the German defense sector business Diehl Metal Applications GmbH, the B.Z. newspaper reported, citing a fire department spokesperson, noting that extinguishing efforts are set to continue through Saturday. 

On Friday, a fire broke out in Diehl, which manufactures defense systems for Ukraine and the IRIS-T system. The structure had entirely burnt through and a portion of it had fallen.

Firefighting teams had been attempting to extinguish the fire from the outside since it could not be contained from the inside, Adrian Wenzel, a spokesman for the Berlin fire service, stated.

According to German media, 160 firemen responded to the fire on Friday, but as of Saturday, 50 remained on call amid the heavy fume and toxins released, trying to keep it from spreading further. 

Das Berliner Werk des Rüstungskonzerns Diehl Defence, der Luftverteidigungssysteme herstellt, brennt..🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/saDAE5yefW

— 👑Mina👑 (@MinaAnimQueen) May 3, 2024

Germany's Leopards, IRIS-Ts not holding up well in Ukraine

Last July, reports surfaced that several Leopard tanks and IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems handed to Ukraine were hit by Russian fire, causing them to be badly damaged and even destroyed in the process.

The Russian armed forces, using loitering munitions, eliminated a radar station of an IRIS-T air defense system.

The first IRIS-Ts were handed to Ukraine back in October 2022. German newspaper Der Speigel reported at the time that Berlin planned to deliver four systems to Kiev. The handover was made near the Polish-Ukrainian border.

The delivery was made at a time when reports had been saying for months the German military was running out of weapons that could be sent to Ukraine, with Kiev still projected to be dependent on defense assistance from Berlin.