Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will send more than 100 Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine by spring 2024, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced during an unannounced visit to Kyiv Tuesday.
A contingent of 20 to 25 Leopard 1 tanks will arrive in Ukraine by this summer, and up to an additional 80 by early next year, Pistorius told reporters during a joint press meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov.
The Leopard 1 had been in service since the 1960s until it was phased out in 2003.
Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will be providing “refurbished” Leopard 1 from their “industrial stocks” and the three countries will also provide required logistic support and training to operate the vehicles, the German defense ministry said in a news release.
The German government on Tuesday approved up to 178 export licenses for Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine, according to the news release.
Pistorius speaking at the news conference also announced imminent weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
He said that by the end of the month, there will be more missiles, five additional Gepard tanks, and another five armored engineer vehicles.
Training on Leopard 2 battle tanks will soon begin in Germany, Pistorius said, adding that he was “deeply impressed” by the Ukrainian trainee soldiers’ “solemn faces” and “determination.”
Ukraine’s Reznikov said he discussed the need for fighter jets with his German counterpart.
“It could be different platforms” and Ukraine’s partners will decide the best platform to discuss the request, Reznikov said.
Before deciding on fighter jets, the “first priority” for Ukraine’s allies was to “deploy their Leopards” and “guarantee the training,” Pistorius said.
