Ukraine refuses to import old Leopard tanks from Germany. Obsolete equipment appears.
At the beginning of September, the first ten Leopard 1 tanks, donated by Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, arrived in Ukraine. Other equipment is reportedly on the way. On Tuesday, the German publication Spiegel said that Kyiv refused to accept this batch of tanks because of their poor condition and the need for repairs. And now the Danish Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the equipment is so worn out that it can no longer be used.
Kyiv refused
As the media notes, a few days ago Ukraine sent a group of specialists to the Polish city of Rzeszow to inspect the German Leopard tanks intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the site, experts discovered that the equipment was badly damaged during the Ukrainian military exercises in Germany and was in need of repair.
In addition, as German journalists clarified, some of the ten Leopard 1A5 tanks that were already transferred to Ukraine in July experienced similar problems and failed.
Germany has promised to supply Ukraine with more than a hundred Leopard 1A5 tanks. These tanks were withdrawn from Bundeswehr service almost ten years ago. However, since many of the models were still in storage, specialists quickly restored them to working order.
“The problems that arose indicate many mistakes in the planning of the supply of tanks. Shortly after the political decision was made on the supply of tanks, insiders began to talk about the problems of maintenance and the supply of spare parts that may have been seen,” the material said.
Berlin now seeks to quickly teach Ukrainian technicians how to independently maintain Leopard 1 tanks in good condition and perform numerous minor repairs.
Married from Denmark
Today, TV2 confirmed, citing the Danish Ministry of Defense, that Ukraine actually abandoned the German tanks due to the fact that they were worn out of service.
“Ten more tanks were handed over to Ukraine, but they are still in Poland. According to information, two of these tanks are experiencing serious malfunctions,” said the head of the Danish defense department, Troels Lund Poulsen.
According to him, 12 of the 20 tanks transferred by Copenhagen to Kyiv were also damaged. In particular, we are talking about the Leopard 1A5.
Lack of spare parts
A spokesman for German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said it was impossible to comment on the specific case of the ten defective German tanks. However, he claims that, in general, there are now not enough spare parts and personnel to repair the machines.
According to German media reports, Ukraine also does not have the appropriate mechanics that can repair serious faults in the Leopard 1A5, so the German defense company FFG, which is responsible for restoring the tanks, will start repairing the equipment next week.
What effect will this have on the front?
The fact that Kyiv receives defective tanks is not a decisive result on the battlefield, said Peter Viggo Jacobsen, associate professor of strategy and military studies at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
“Of course, it is bad that quality control has failed and Ukraine receives equipment that does not work to its full potential. However, this cannot be decided on the battlefield if the number of defects is insignificant. However, it is clear that this problem needs to be corrected,” the expert said for TV2.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.