The Leopard 2 battle tanks promised by Berlin to Kiev have been handed over to the Ukrainian side, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday, March 27, during a visit to the Netherlands. Earlier this was reported by the German weekly Der Spiegel, citing its sources.
According to the publication, 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks, which the German government promised to provide to Kyiv, have already been delivered to Ukraine. The last tanks from this batch left Germany at the end of last week and were handed over to representatives of Ukraine on the border of this country. In addition, according to these data, Ukraine has already received about 40 Marder armored personnel carriers.
Deliveries of German tanks to Ukraine
German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in late January, after months of discussions, plans to supply Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, which is defending against a Russian invasion. At the first stage, Germany will provide Kyiv with a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from the reserves of the Bundeswehr, he said in the Bundestag in Berlin. In addition, this package of military assistance to Kyiv includes the training of Ukrainian crews, logistics, ammunition and systems maintenance. This step is the result of intensive consultations held with Germany's closest European and international partners, the Chancellor stressed. Later it became known that Germany would supply Ukraine with four more Leopard 2 A6 tanks from the stocks of the Bundeswehr, increasing their total number to 18.
For the first time, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal addressed Berlin with a request for the supply of battle tanks on September 4, 2022. But then Scholz rejected this request. Official Berlin explained its restrained position by the fact that it was forced to balance the threat of an escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine and the need for international coordination on the issue of military assistance to Kyiv. Chancellor Scholz has been repeatedly criticized, including by his comrades-in-arms in the ruling coalition in Germany, for hesitancy in providing this type of weaponry to Ukraine.
In February, it also became known that the Bundeswehr began training Ukrainian troops to operate Leopard 2 battle tanks. It was reported that the training was taking place at the tank troops training center in Munster (Lower Saxony) and would be completed by the end of the first quarter, “synchronously” with the transfer of tanks to Ukraine .
According to the publication, 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks, which the German government promised to provide to Kyiv, have already been delivered to Ukraine. The last tanks from this batch left Germany at the end of last week and were handed over to representatives of Ukraine on the border of this country. In addition, according to these data, Ukraine has already received about 40 Marder armored personnel carriers.
Deliveries of German tanks to Ukraine
German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in late January, after months of discussions, plans to supply Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, which is defending against a Russian invasion. At the first stage, Germany will provide Kyiv with a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from the reserves of the Bundeswehr, he said in the Bundestag in Berlin. In addition, this package of military assistance to Kyiv includes the training of Ukrainian crews, logistics, ammunition and systems maintenance. This step is the result of intensive consultations held with Germany's closest European and international partners, the Chancellor stressed. Later it became known that Germany would supply Ukraine with four more Leopard 2 A6 tanks from the stocks of the Bundeswehr, increasing their total number to 18.
For the first time, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal addressed Berlin with a request for the supply of battle tanks on September 4, 2022. But then Scholz rejected this request. Official Berlin explained its restrained position by the fact that it was forced to balance the threat of an escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine and the need for international coordination on the issue of military assistance to Kyiv. Chancellor Scholz has been repeatedly criticized, including by his comrades-in-arms in the ruling coalition in Germany, for hesitancy in providing this type of weaponry to Ukraine.
In February, it also became known that the Bundeswehr began training Ukrainian troops to operate Leopard 2 battle tanks. It was reported that the training was taking place at the tank troops training center in Munster (Lower Saxony) and would be completed by the end of the first quarter, “synchronously” with the transfer of tanks to Ukraine .