Germany approved permission to export Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from its stocks, informed on Friday, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. The total number of tanks is 88 pieces, they are in the warehouses of the manufacturer Rheinmetall. According to Hebestreit, deliveries could begin in the coming weeks.
“Leopard 1” – the previous model of the main tank in service with the Bundeswehr, since the mid-1980s they are no longer produced, giving way to a more modern modification – “Leopard 2”. However, Leopards 1 are still in service with many armies around the world and are constantly being updated. The cost of 88 tanks that Ukraine can get, is more than 100 million euros.
How Remarks newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, the old models of Leopards use shells of a different caliber than the new one, so there is a risk of shortage of ammunition. Countries providing military assistance to Ukraine will address this issue.
In January, Germany, after much hesitation approved deliveries to Ukraine of their “Leopard 2” main battle tanks both directly from Bundeswehr stocks and from EU countries that previously purchased these tanks. Thus, Kiev can receive at least 112 units of German tanks. They are expected to appear in Ukraine within two to three months. Kiev and Berlin said the tanks would not be used on Russian territory within its borders officially recognized by the world community. The equipment will be used only to liberate the territory of Ukraine.
United States too announcement ready to transfer 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev called Berlin’s decision on the tanks “extremely dangerous”. “The decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts statements by German politicians about the reluctance of the FRG to get involved,” Nechaev said.
