18 Leopard 2 tanks promised by the German government have arrived in Ukraine

Demonstrations against the supply of weapons to Kyiv held in 70 German cities

Image of German Leopard 2 tanks. Credit: Wikipedia - By Bundeswehr-Fotos - originally posted to Flickr as Leopard 2 A5, CC BY 2.0,

A consignment of 18 Leopard 2 tanks promised to Ukraine has arrived in Kyiv from Germany.

As reported this Monday, March 27, by Der Spiegel, citing its own sources, the 18 Leopard 2 tanks promised by the German government have arrived in Ukraine.

According to their information, approximately two months after the decision by the German authorities to supply 18 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the equipment has been handed over to Kyiv. 

According to Der Spiegel, the last batch of tanks left Germany late last week and has now been handed over at the Ukrainian border. About 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) also arrived in the war zone. However, the German government, as the publication pointed out, kept the exact route of its arms supplies secret, for security reasons.

Initially, Germany promised to supply Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks. However, there were not enough models for a full battalion of 31 tanks. As a result, Berlin decided to send four more pieces of equipment to Kyiv.

These Leopard tanks will be delivered to Ukraine with an extensive package of weapons and spare parts. Over the past two months, Germany’s Bundeswehr has been training Ukrainian soldiers in the handling of their equipment. At the military training ground in Munster in Lower Saxony, the Ukrainian military was also able to practice live firing from the Leopards.

On January 25, the German government confirmed that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and issued permission to other countries to re-export these vehicles. Subsequently, on February 24, Germany decided to supply Kyiv with four more pieces of equipment from the stocks of the German Armed Forces. The German Cabinet approved the delivery of 178 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Kyiv on February 7.
Leopard 2 tanks are considered one of the most advanced battle tanks on the global arms market. However, one problem can be the complexity of the system, which is very demanding to maintain. Therefore, Germany plans to open a service centre for repairs in a country neighbouring Ukraine.

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Written by

Chris King

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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