Berlin, Germany (TEH) — In a recent development, Mitko Müller, the representative of the German Ministry of Defense in the Cabinet of Ministers, has announced that Germany and Poland have reached an agreement to service the Leopard 2 A4 tanks supplied to Kiev. The German industry will undertake the repair of more advanced models, such as the A5 and A6, Müller revealed during a government briefing.
“We can say that the German-Polish efforts were crowned with success – both countries and their industries provide an opportunity for the repair of Ukrainian tanks Leopard 2,” Müller declared. He, however, left out details about the locations in Germany where the tanks would be serviced.
Earlier reports from the NTV channel, quoting a Bundeswehr spokesperson, had mentioned the intent to conduct repairs of the A5 and A6 models in Germany, and possibly, Lithuania.
Adding to this development, the Leopard tank service center has commenced operations at the Bumar plant in the Polish city of Gliwice. The first two tanks have already been transported there, stated Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak on July 22.
Prior to this accord, there had been disputes between Germany and Poland over the tank maintenance center. Germany was reportedly reluctant to participate due to Poland’s significantly high pricing for future maintenance of the armored vehicles. The costs were reportedly almost ten times higher than German prices, as per sources cited by the Handelsblatt publication.
Furthermore, Der Spiegel had reported about disagreements between the two nations owing to Poland’s inflated prices. Contract negotiations for the repair of equipment were stalled, and Germany pointed fingers at Poland for impeding the project’s implementation. This recent agreement, however, suggests that the two nations have managed to surmount these hurdles and move forward for the benefit of Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
