A shipment of military equipment and humanitarian aid, including Leopard 2 tanks, is on its way to Ukraine from Spain, according to the Spanish defense ministry as reported by CNN on Tuesday. The shipment, which left the port of Santander, is expected to reach Ukraine’s military in early August.
The shipment includes four Leopard 2A4 tanks, ten M-113 armored personnel carriers, ten cargo trucks, one armored multi-purpose vehicle, and five ambulances, two of which are armored. This comes as part of Spain’s commitment to send a total of ten Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, with six tanks already dispatched. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced in July that Madrid would provide an additional four Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.
Ukraine had requested more Leopard 2 tanks from Germany to bolster its ground forces during the counter-offensive battles against Russian forces. This request came after Moscow claimed in June to have destroyed at least twelve of Kyiv’s tanks. Furthermore, Russia asserted that it had destroyed sixteen Leopard tanks supplied to Ukraine by Poland and Portugal.
The German Leopard 2 tank is highly regarded for its exceptional performance and capabilities. Developed in the 1970s by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, it serves as the backbone of the German Army’s armored forces and is utilized by various other nations globally. Boasting advanced armor protection, a powerful 120mm smoothbore gun, and a sophisticated fire control system, the Leopard 2 can engage targets with great accuracy and effectiveness. Its high mobility and cross-country capabilities make it suitable for diverse terrains and combat scenarios. The continuous upgrades and enhancements ensure that the Leopard 2 remains at the forefront of modern armored warfare, maintaining its significance and prominence on the battlefield.