The cold and desolate streets of Kyiv are subjected to another day of relentless Russian bombing. Ukraine’s capital is gripped by fear as the all-too-familiar sound of a Shahed-136 kamikaze drone whirs overhead like a flying moped. Suddenly, from out of the clouds of dust and fog engulfing the war-torn city, an armor-clad hero arrives: the Flakpanzer Gepard. Though “Gepard” means “cheetah” in German, the Ukrainians have given it an even more ferocious name: “the dragon.”

Rolling over the debris, this formidable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, or SPAAG, gets in position before letting rip a flurry of 35mm ammunition from its twin Oerlikon GDF cannons at a devastating combined rate of 1,100 rounds per minute. There’s a deafening bang as the Gepard hits its target, and the blackened sky briefly lights up as the drone explodes in a ball of fire. The city breathes a collective sigh of relief. The war drags on, but the dragon brings a glimmer of hope.

Since it arrived in Ukraine on July 25, 2022, this beast has found itself playing a key role in pushing back the advance of Vladimir Putin’s invading forces. Originally fielded by the West Germans in the midst of the Cold War to protect Europe from Russian attacks, nearly 50 years later, it is now proving how effective it is at doing just that.