By Chris King • Published: 28 Jan 2023 • 3:31
Image of a Challenger 2 tank. Credit: Martin Hiberd Shutterstock.com
According to Vadim Omelchenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to France, as of Friday, January 27, Western nations have officially announced plans to transfer a total of 321 heavy tanks to Kyiv.
Delivery times of this hardware will vary depending on the tank types and manufacturing countries he detailed. In mid-December, Valery Zaluzhny, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Kyiv needed 300 tanks, 700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers to “reach the lines on February 23rd”.
“We need this help as soon as possible”, Mr Omelchenko told BFMTV. He recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that the tanks be delivered as quickly as possible. “If they arrive in August or September, it will be too late”, the ambassador added.
Ukraine’s allies first announced the delivery of Western-made tanks in January. London was the first to announce its plans, promising Kyiv 14 Challenger 2 tanks in mid-January.
During this week, the United States confirmed that it will be sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to supply Leopard 2 tanks.
He also approved the supply of their German-made tanks to Ukraine from other countries that have them in service, including Poland. French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out that Paris would also agree to transfer its Leclerc heavy tanks to Kyiv in the near future, as reported by kommersant.ru.
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Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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