Berlin To Allow German Defense Firms To Supply 187 Leopard 1 Tanks To Ukraine - Reports

The German government will grant two defense companie Rheinmetall and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft permission to supply a total of 187 Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine, Business Insider reported on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2023) The German government will grant two defense companie Rheinmetall and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft permission to supply a total of 187 Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine, business Insider reported on Tuesday.

Rheinmetall, in particular, will deliver 88 tanks to Kiev, while Flensburger Fahrzeugbau will supply 99 tanks, the German division of the media outlet reported, adding that the figures would be officially made public later in the day.

At the same time, many of those tanks are in poor condition and need repairs, according to the news portal. The funds for the repair work have not been allocated yet, and the German government is expected to discuss the issue over the coming week.

The first dispatch is expected to arrive no earlier than the middle of 2023, Business Insider reported. Currently, it is unclear whether all 187 units will be battle-ready or some of them will be disassembled for parts.

Last Friday, German cabinet spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that the government had approved exports of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, giving no details on how many tanks would be supplied. Suddeutsche Zeitung reported, in turn, that Leopard 1 tanks, which were discontinued since 1984, may face a shortage of shells, since currently produced Leopard 2 tanks use a different type of ammunition.

Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev after Russia started its military operation in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.