According to Boris Pistorius (SPD), Ukraine is to receive more than 100 older Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks from a group of several European countries. This was announced by the new defense minister on Tuesday during his first visit to Kyiv. The stay was initially kept secret for security reasons.
At least three battalions should be equipped with it by the first or second quarter of 2024, said the SPD politician in Kyiv. The Leopard 1 will be delivered in stages: 20 to 25 tanks should be delivered by the summer, and up to 80 by the end of the year. The aim is to have more than 100 in the course of the first or second quarter of 2024. This means that at least three Ukrainian battalions should be equipped, including the material to be procured for spare parts and ammunition. In addition, the training of 600 sergeants has begun.
With the current commitment to deliver the Leopard 1 tanks, he connects “the wish and the great hope that this contribution can also help Ukraine remain defensible and withstand the attack,” said Pistorius. The will of the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland is unbroken. “I have my greatest admiration for that,” said the minister at a joint appearance with his Ukrainian colleague Oleksiy Resnikov.