BERLIN, March 27 (Portal) – The 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks that Germany has pledged to support Ukraine in its war against Russia have arrived in Ukraine, the German Defense Ministry said on Monday.
Germany agreed in January to supply the tanks, believed to be among the best in the West’s arsenal, overcoming concerns about sending heavy weapons that Kiev says are crucial to defeating the Russian invasion, but portrays Moscow as a dangerous provocation.
“I am sure that they can make a decisive contribution on the front lines,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a tweet.
In addition to the 18 tanks, 40 German Marder infantry fighting vehicles and two armored recovery vehicles also got into Ukraine, a security source said.
The Bundeswehr trained the Ukrainian tank crews and the troops deployed to operate the Marder vehicles over several weeks in Münster and Bergen in northern Germany.
In addition to the German vehicles, three Leopard tanks donated by Portugal also reached Ukraine, the security source said.
Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Rachel More; writing from Maria Martinez; Edited by Friederike Heine, Tomasz Janowski and Alison Williams
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