Kiev’s forces reportedly misplaced almost twice that quantity in a number of hours earlier this month
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged on Saturday to produce Ukraine with 4 further Leopard battle tanks. Giant numbers of those German-made tanks have already been destroyed by Russian forces throughout Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive.
Talking in Kiev, Sanchez promised that “Spain will quickly ship new navy {hardware} to assist [Ukraine] within the struggle, together with 4 Leopard tanks and armored personnel carriers,” in keeping with Ukrainian media shops. Sanchez mentioned that his authorities would additionally provide a cell area hospital and proceed coaching Ukrainian surgeons to deal with battlefield casualties.
Spain promised ten Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine again in February, and shipped the primary six in April. Earlier this month, Spanish Protection Minister Margarita Robles mentioned that the remaining 4 Leopards could be despatched as quickly as they’d been taken out of storage and refurbished.
Manufactured between 1985 and 1992, the Leopard 2A4 is the most typical variant of the German-made tank in service at this time, however its capabilities have been eclipsed by the newer Leopard 2A6 and 2E.
Earlier than Kiev launched its counteroffensive in opposition to Russian forces earlier this month, Ukrainian propaganda touted the prevalence of the Leopards, claiming that these German behemoths would punch by way of Russia’s defensive traces and minimize the land bridge between Russia and Crimea in two.
The offensive has not gone in keeping with plan. As of late-June, Russia’s Nationwide Safety Council estimated Ukraine’s losses at 13,000 troops, whereas Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Tuesday that Kiev had misplaced 259 tanks and 780 armored autos for the reason that begin of the advance, with none vital territorial positive aspects.
Successive movies of burning Leopard tanks have shaken Ukrainian morale, with Germany’s Der Spiegel journal reporting final month that Ukrainian tank crews have been faking harm to their autos to keep away from going into fight with Russian forces. In a single assault on June 8, Ukrainian forces misplaced seven Leopard tanks, 17 American Bradley infantry preventing autos, and one German Wisent restoration car, Forbes journal reported earlier this week.
Whereas Sanchez’s 4 Leopards are unlikely to change the steadiness of energy on the battlefield, the Spanish prime minister’s journey was extra centered on political fairly than navy help. In a joint assertion with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Sanchez mentioned that Spain would make Ukraine’s bid for EU membership a prime precedence throughout its presidency of the Council of the European Union for the subsequent six months.
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