 Russian drones have become the prey of German Gepards in Ukraine. One of the most valuable weapons that Ukraine has gotten to help fight Russia is a relatively unsophisticated German system from the 1970s, the Flak-Panzer Gepard. According to Business Insider, the Gepard is self-propelled, anti-aircraft gun that uses two automatic cannons to take out aerial targets. It was the first heavy weapon that Germany sent to Ukraine. Despite being close to 50 years old, the Gepard is filling an important role in Ukraine's air defense network, taking out low-flying drones and missiles that are very threatening but too cheap and numerous to justify using sophisticated surface-to-air missiles to shoot down. The Gepard's performance in Ukraine has demonstrated the enduring value of simple and mobile anti-aircraft systems in the 21st century, but Ukraine's Gepards face another problem far from the frontline. The country that makes their ammunition has so far been unwilling to let Kyiv have more of it. After being criticized for its reluctance to send heavy weaponry to Ukraine, the German government promised some 50 Gepards to Ukraine in April 2022. The first three arrived in July and were followed by another 27 by the end of the year. As of March, 34 Gepards have been sent to Ukraine with plans to deliver at least three more. The Gepards were rushed to the front lines almost immediately and proved effective at downing low-flying Russian cruise missiles and drones. They have been particularly effective against Iranian-made Shahad 131 and 136 loitering munitions that Russia is using against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Ukrainian Gepard crews have been successful despite receiving just two months of training compared to the German standard of 18 months. The Gepards fill an important gap in Ukraine's air defense network which includes long-range systems like Soviet-era S-300 and Buk surface-to-air missile systems as well as Western-made systems like Nassams and the MIM-104 Patriot which currently arrived in Ukraine.