German-made Leopard tanks have finally arrived in Ukraine after being first approved in January (Picture: Getty)
The first shipment of German Leopard-2 tanks has been sent to Ukraine, the German defence minister has confirmed.
‘Yes, we delivered Leopard tanks as we announced,’ chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Rotterdam. ‘We’re providing very modern [tanks] which we have now delivered.’
Eighteen cutting-edge main battle tanks were delivered after Ukrainian crews were trained to use them.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the tanks ‘have made it into the hands of our Ukrainian friends as promised and on time,’ and tweeted that he was sure they could ‘make a decisive contribution’ on the frontlines of the war.
The German army trained Ukrainian tank crews how to operate the vehicles (Picture: Reuters)
A number of British Challenger tanks have also reached Ukraine and are ready for deployment (Picture: Getty)
Germany agreed to supply the tanks in January, regarded as among the best in the West’s arsenal, despite being initially reluctant to send heavy weaponry that Kyiv says is crucial to defeat Russia’s invasion.
The Leopards have been specifically designed to compete with the Russian T-90 main battle tank, and are considered to be easier to maintain and more fuel-efficient than most other Western tanks.
Around 2,000 Leopard 2s are in use by European countries, although under German law, Berlin must approve Leopard 2s being re-exported by any country.
Besides the 18 tanks, 40 German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and two armoured recovery vehicles have also reached Ukraine, a security source said.
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The German army trained the Ukrainian tank crews as well as the troops assigned to operate the Marder vehicles for several weeks in Muenster and Bergen in northern Germany.
As well as the German vehicles, three Leopard tanks donated by Portugal also reached Ukraine, the security source confirmed.
At least two British Challenger 2 tanks have also reportedly arrived in Ukraine, with the country’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov comparing their quality to that of a Rolls Royce and labelling the vehicles a work of military art.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, Mr Reznikov posed with a variety of western tanks including Challengers from Britain, Strykers & Cougars from USA and Marders from Germany.
‘A year ago, no one would have thought that supporting partners would be so powerful,’ he said. ‘That the whole civilised world will reboot and finally resist the bloody aggressor, the Russian terrorist country.’
He added: ‘A year has made a difference. Ukraine has changed the world.’
‘The resilience of the Ukrainian people and the craftsmanship of our army convinced the world that Ukraine will win.’
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Germany approved the deployment of the ‘game-changing’ tanks back in January.