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Germany gives the go-ahead for the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. Photo/Defense Express
BERLIN – Government spokesperson German Steffen Hebestreit, confirmed that Berlin had granted an export license for deliveries of older Leopard 1 main battle tanks to Ukraine . But Hebestreit did not provide further explanation.
Previously, the German media Suddeutsche Zeitung was the first to report the news in today’s edition Friday (3/2/2023).
“Delivery of tanks from industrial stock can be made as soon as the tanks are repaired,” the paper said as quoted by DW.
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However, according to the report, there are still obstacles in obtaining the required 105mm ammunition. Although Brazil has large stockpiles of ammunition, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government has so far refused to hand them over to Ukraine.
First entering military service in the 1960s, the Leopard 1 tank was the forerunner of the more modern Leopard 2 tank, which was used extensively by armies across Europe.
According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, the German government’s decision concerns the 29 Leopard 1s, which are stored in military factories.
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Meanwhile, Suddeutsche Zeitung reports that two manufacturers are looking to upgrade “dozens” of Leopard 1 tanks for delivery to Ukraine.
The German government has decided to send 14 more modern Leopard 2 main battle tanks from its military stockpile to Ukraine.
The plan led Russian President Vladimir Putin to say Russia was “again” threatened by German tanks as it was during World War II. He warned that Moscow was ready to respond to aggression from the West.
Read: Putin: Russia is Threatened Again by German Tanks like World War II
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