Germany delivers tanks to Ukraine – but they have to be assembled beforehand

Created: 04/01/2022, 14:09

By: Marvin Ziegele

Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) in front of a "Puma" infantry fighting vehicle.

(Archive photo) © Philipp Schulze/dpa

Germany wants to support Ukraine with more armaments.

Specifically, it's about tanks from the GDR. 

Berlin – According to a press report, the federal government has allowed a Czech company to resell 58 armored personnel carriers from former GDR stocks to Ukraine*.

Die Welt reported on this on Friday (April 1, 2022), citing the Federal Ministry of Defense.

The tanks are PbV-501 infantry fighting vehicles equipped with cannons and machine guns and originally belonged to the National People's Army.

In the course of reunification, the tanks came into the possession of the Bundeswehr and were then passed on to the Swedish army.

She later sold it to a Czech company, which is now trying to sell it to the Ukrainian army.

However, a German permit was required for this.

Ukraine conflict: Tanks from Germany first have to be assembled

According to the information from the world, the delivery of the tanks in the Ukraine conflict * should not take place immediately, as they first have to be assembled.

This could take a few weeks.

In 2019, the previous federal government refused to sell tanks to Ukraine.

At that time, too, the Czech company submitted an application to the federal government.

However, the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has decided not to deliver any weapons to Ukraine in order not to endanger the dialogue with Russia.

Germany wants to deliver tanks to Ukraine

On Wednesday (March 31, 2022) it became known that the federal government is apparently facing further arms deliveries due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reported that the list included armaments worth around 300 million euros that could be delivered to Ukraine at short notice.

These are not weapons and equipment from Bundeswehr stocks, but goods that the industry can deliver immediately or without much advance notice.

(Marvin Ziegele/AFP)