In Ukraine, the newly founded 5th Armored Brigade is supposed to stop the invaders. There are probably 100 German Leopard tanks under one command.
Kiev – Ukraine is hoping for its new fifth tank brigade in the defensive war against Russia – and this will probably consist of over 100 German Leopards. According to a report by Forbeswhich refers to a video from Militaryland The newly formed fifth armored brigade, which will exclusively use the Leopard 1A5, could include over half of the almost 200 vehicles supplied by Germany in the fight against Russia in the Ukraine war.
100 German Leopard tanks in Ukraine: New tank brigade in the fight against Russia
Militaryland, an aggregator of open source information focused on the Ukrainian Armed Forces, posted the video on X, formerly Twitter. It shows Ukrainian soldiers training on Leopard tanks in Germany this fall claiming to be part of the fifth tank brigade.
The Leopard 1A5 and the U.S.-made M-1 arrived in Ukraine this fall, making them the latest Western-built tanks to reach the front lines in the Ukrainian war. Officially, the 5th Armored Brigade is stationed in Kryvyi Rih in southern Ukraine. In reality, the brigade existed loudly Forbes Hardly until she finally started training new recruits a few months ago. The tanks in Ukraine are distributed among around a hundred ground combat brigades. Typically there are a dozen to 30 units per brigade. In the armored brigades, on the other hand, there are significantly more tanks working together under one command.
Ukraine War: Thin armor as a disadvantage of the Leopard 1A5 tanks
Crews praise the 40-ton 1A5's excellent mobility and rapid fire control for its accurate 105-millimeter main gun. One disadvantage is that its armor is only 70 millimeters thin. The 44th Mechanized Brigade nearly lost a Leopard 1A5 in the Ukraine war late last month after one of the tanks apparently ran over a mine, lost mobility and then came under fire from Russian artillery. The army has reportedly recovered the damaged tank to repair it.
The Ukrainians have plans to upgrade the Leopards. “The problems of armor reinforcement are already being solved by Ukrainian engineers,” Ukrainian ICTV reported. This apparently means adding layers of explosive reaction armor. “As far as I know, there are plans to install additional dynamic protection,” said a tank driver opposite ICTV. An ERA layer could double the Leopard 1's protection against high-explosive projectiles.
Ukraine's damaged Leopard 2 tanks are being repaired in Lithuania
After all, some of the Leopard 2 tanks damaged in the war are already being repaired – in Lithuania. The repaired battle tanks will soon return to the battlefield in the Baltic EU and NATO country. “Lithuania consistently supports Ukraine’s struggle for independence and not only sends military aid, but also helps repair Leopard tanks,” emphasized Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas.
The tanks were repaired in a maintenance center built by the two German arms companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall. They were demonstrated and tested at the Lithuanian Gaiziunai military training area – they are expected to be transported back to Ukraine at the beginning of January. “What can I say? A powerful tank,” said Anusauskas on Friday after a short test drive.
The maintenance center, in which the self-propelled howitzers delivered by Germany to Ukraine were previously serviced, is geared towards the Leopard variants 2A5 and 2A6. It is almost the only hub in Europe for this, said Dietz. In contrast, the Leopard variant 2A4 is being repaired in a tank workshop in Poland. After much hesitation, Germany handed over Type A6 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine in March. A ring exchange trick also played a role.
Weapons deliveries from the USA: Ukraine fears congressional decision
The most important arms supplier in the war so far has not been Germany, but the USA. Ukraine is currently worried about whether this will remain the case. The US Senate postponed its winter recess due to further negotiations on the continuation of aid to Ukraine. “The Senate will return on Monday,” Democratic Congressional Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday. This gives those involved in the negotiations time to reach an agreement.
Actually, the senators should have agreed on a text by Thursday evening before work was interrupted for the holidays. Democrats and Republicans are currently arguing about further aid to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden asked the US Congress for new aid for Kiev in October. The Democrats support the $61 billion (55 billion euros) package, but it is rejected by the opposition Republicans.
Tanks for the Ukraine war: Denmark promises Ukraine new military aid in the fight against Russia
At least Denmark wants to support Ukraine with new, comprehensive military aid. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced at a press conference in Oslo on Wednesday that her government will present a new military donation package worth almost one billion euros to the Danish parliament on Thursday.
In addition to other Nordic heads of state and government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was also present. If the package is approved by parliament, it will include things that Ukraine currently needs, Frederiksen said. “Including ammunition, tanks, drones and other equipment important to the ongoing fighting.” (cgsc with dpa and afp)
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