War in Ukraine: Germany supplies Leopard 1 tanks jointly with Denmark and Netherlands

Enlarge image

Leopard 1 main battle tanks on the premises of a Belgian arms dealer

Photo: YVES HERMAN / REUTERS

Germany wants to deliver up to 178 Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks to Ukraine together with Denmark and the Netherlands.

The Federal Ministry of Defense and the Federal Ministry of Economics, which is responsible for arms exports, confirmed that the large-scale delivery had been approved.

SPIEGEL had previously reported on a corresponding release from the Federal Security Council. 

"How many Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks are actually delivered to Ukraine depends on the necessary repair work," said the German ministries.

The time frame for the complete delivery is also still uncertain.

90 Leopard 1 are to be built by the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft

(FFG) are made ready for use.

Numerous tanks of the type that the Bundeswehr has been decommissioned for 20 years have been stored at the company for years.

Another 88 stored Leopard 1 tanks from former Italian army stocks come from the armaments group Rheinmetall.

After the export license for the Ukraine became apparent, the company bought the tanks from Italy and will now modernize them as soon as possible.

Older Leopard 1 "definitely still usable"

FFG has already repaired almost 30 Leopard 1 tanks, and ideally they could be handed over in the spring.

It was initially not known when the deliveries from Denmark and the Netherlands could be expected.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense said the tanks were to be procured “directly from German industry”.

A joint statement by the defense ministries of Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands said the Leopard 1 bulk delivery was intended to help Ukraine in its efforts to resist Russian aggression.

The Leopard 1 should therefore "significantly improve" Ukraine's military potential and help restore the country's territorial integrity.

Dutch Defense Minister Kasja Ollongen said the Leopard 1 tanks were "definitely still usable" despite their age, according to the Reuters news agency.

The model has been tried and tested and is being prepared for battle.

fek/dpa/AP/Reuters