New Leopard Tanks Start Rolling Into Ukraine

Ukraine will receive 14 refurbished Leopard 2A4 tanks this summer from the Netherlands and Denmark, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced on Thursday.

The two NATO nations said last April that they would purchase the tanks from a third party and refit them before sending them to Ukraine. Brekelmans said the battle tanks have been refurbished by German arms company Rheinmetall and tested in recent months.

The German-made Leopard 2 tanks are widely considered some of the best main battle tanks manufactured by NATO member states. Rheinmetall describes them as "the world's finest main battle tank."

Ukraine received its first shipment of 18 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany last March. By January 2024, German politician and economist Sebastian Schäfer said Ukraine's military had just a few left that were fit for combat.

Ukraine has long asked its Western allies for modern equipment and weapons to help fend off Russian forces in the ongoing war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

Last year, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany pledged to send the war-torn country 100 refurbished Leopard tanks.

"Ukraine urgently needs more military support given the heavy fighting on the battlefield. These tanks can play an important role in protecting the Ukrainian army from Russian troops," Brekelmans said in a statement.

"The Netherlands, together with its allies and partners, will continue to support Ukraine continuously, for as long as necessary," the minister added. "This is very important for the protection of Ukraine and to deter Putin's aggression."

The Dutch Defense Ministry said in its press release that the Leopard 2A4 tanks "can help Ukraine gain the upper hand on the battlefield."

"It has large firepower, offers good protection to its crew and is fast," the ministry said, adding that Leopard 1 tanks are also being delivered to Ukraine by Denmark and Germany.

The ministry said the final two Leopard 2 tanks were undergoing verification tests.

"The first 12 tanks have already been delivered for shipment. All 14 tanks will be delivered simultaneously before the end of the summer," the ministry said.

The Dutch ministry didn't provide an exact date for the shipment of the 14 refurbished Leopard 2A4 tanks.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on its social media channels that the shipment "will increase the capabilities of [Ukrainian] warriors on the battlefield."

"We are grateful to our partners for their unwavering support! Together, we will win!" it said.

Earlier this month, Spain's Defense Ministry said it had sent an additional 10 refurbished Leopard 2A4 battle tanks to Ukraine.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.