As of: February 16, 2024, 1:57 p.m
By: Patrick Mayer
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Press
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ZDF gets exclusive insights into a German Leopard 1 tank in Ukraine.
But the “Leo” isn’t just rusty on the inside.
There are several flaws.
Kiev – The Ukraine war has long since become a battle of images.
While the Ukrainian armed forces present the giant explosion of two Russian rocket launchers, Russian military bloggers are circulating a video showing Moscow's troops taking over the former coking plant in Avdiivka.
While further military aid will also be discussed at the Munich Security Conference (Siko) from February 16th to 18th, Ukraine's acute ammunition shortage is an open secret - which of course plays into Russia's hands on the battlefield.
Therefore, Kiev is obviously trying to create positive images.
German Leopard 1 for Ukraine: ZDF team inspects tanks near Kharkiv
A team of reporters from ZDF
's “heute journal” was allowed
to look at a delivered German Leopard 1 battle tank near Kharkiv, even inside.
But despite all the soldiers' slogans for perseverance, at least this one tank shows significant defects at second glance.
A German Leopard 1 tank near Kharkiv, Ukraine.
© Screenshot ZDF media library/heute journal
Weapons deliveries for Ukraine: Leopard 1 tanks have several flaws
Downright devastating: In an image sequence you can see how the “Leo” 1 stands there completely blank when the crew turns the turret of the 42.5-ton colossus, including the 120 mm smoothbore cannon, backwards.
Because: Then a huge gap opens up between the turret and the hull at the point where the turret is rotated during battle.
Here, at least with this Leopard 1 tank, there are no protection measures against anti-tank guided weapons and grenades like the old RPG-7 anti-tank rifle, which was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
But it has still proven to be very effective on both sides in the current fighting.
Offers a lot of attack surface: the German Leopard 1 in the Ukraine.
© Screenshot ZDF media library/heute journal
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Western Ukrainian tanks: Russian Lancet drone causes problems
In particular, the Russian Lancet kamikaze drone, a so-called “lurking weapon,” is currently making life difficult for the Ukrainian tank crews.
Whether in American M1 Abrams main battle tanks or the more modern German Leopard 2 tanks.
Soldiers from both sides have installed rows of tiles of reactive armor on their respective tanks to protect themselves against the threat of FPV kamikaze drones.
But these plates coated with explosives, which are intended to render drones and projectiles harmless by means of a counter-explosion, are also completely missing from the “Leo” 1 shown.
Because the Ukrainians only install them on their own after the tanks have been serviced in Germany?
Bradleys, Leopard 2, M1 Abrams: Ukrainians add additional armor to tanks
According to numerous photos and videos, Ukrainian soldiers had provided at least M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, M1 Abrams and “Leos” 2 with such protective measures.
After all, they know about the great danger to life and limb.
“The Russian Federation has pulled together a lot of personnel.
With a large number of people they are trying to storm the Ukrainian positions,” tank driver Oleksandr told
ZDF
.
Army colleague Andrij said: “We either beat them back or we will no longer exist.
There is no third way.”
In the Ukrainian defense industry, which has been growing steadily since spring 2022, grilles and cages are being fitted as standard to the powerful BTR4 personnel carriers with their 30 mm machine cannons.
However, this protection against anti-tank grenades and drones is also completely missing in the Leopard 1 pictured, which instead (still) drives through the white winter landscape without camouflage in olive green.
A look into a German Leopard 1 tank of the Ukrainian army.
In some places the paint is literally missing.
© Screenshot ZDF media library/heute journal
Leopard 1 tank for Ukraine: Germany wanted much more delivered
The last, perhaps most striking flaw: The Federal Ministry of Defense actually wanted to provide Kiev with 80 old Leopard 1s by the end of 2023.
As the overview of military support provided by the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine shows (as of February 16th), only 30 units had been delivered by mid-February.
At least the requirements for the delivery of 105 additional Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks and 30 Marder infantry fighting vehicles are being worked on.
Germany had also delivered 90 Marder and 18 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces since spring 2023, most of which are now said to be in a repair hub in Lithuania.
The Leopard 1 tanks from old industrial and Bundeswehr stocks are being processed and renovated by the armaments company Rheinmetall.
(pm)