Germany Steps Up Military Support for Ukraine with Leopard 2 Tanks

On Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz revealed that Germany is taking further steps to bolster Ukraine's military capabilities. The German government has agreed to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with "Leopard 2" main battle tanks - a decision reached after comprehensive negotiations involving key European and international allies.

The goal is to assemble two tank battalions quickly, with the first step being for Germany to supply a company of 14 Leopard-2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks. Other European nations will also hand over Leopard-2 tanks at the same time. Training of Ukrainian crews in Germany is set to begin without delay, with the package also including further logistics, ammunition and system support too.

"This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability," said Chancellor Scholz in Berlin. "We are acting in a closely coordinated and concerted manner internationally." To aid this process, Germany will be issuing necessary transfer licenses to those partner countries planning to get their Leopard-2 tanks swiftly delivered over to Ukraine.

The Leopard 2 is a main battle tank developed by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. It is one of the most advanced tanks in the world and is currently in service with several countries, including Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands.

The tank was first introduced in 1979 and has undergone several upgrades throughout its service life. The Leopard 2 is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore gun, a 7.62mm machine gun, and a 12.7mm machine gun. It also has advanced features such as a digital fire control system, thermal imaging, and a computerized ballistic protection system. The tank can reach a top speed of 72km/h. It has a crew of four and weighs around 62 tons.

Source: Bundesregierung