While arms deliveries from the USA are blocked, Germany is working on a huge tank package for Ukraine. A learning effect included.
Kiev – When it comes to weapons for Ukraine, Germany is far behind the USA in terms of spending on deliveries. But just as far ahead of all other NATO partners.
Ukraine: Germany is working on a huge weapons package for Kiev
In numbers: According to “heute journal”. ZDF Berlin has so far sent weapons worth 17.13 billion euros to Kiev (as of January 31). The United States had so far supported the Ukrainian armed forces in their defense against the invasion by Russia with 43.86 billion euros. Great Britain follows in third place in these statistics on the Ukraine war with 6.57 billion euros.
Italy (0.69 billion euros) and France (0.54 billion euros), on the other hand, have spent comparatively little on arms deliveries to the Ukrainians, which is why Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has recently given the partners from the European Union (EU) a significant boost duty took. Also because military aid from the USA is currently blocked by the Republicans. Meanwhile, Germany is working on a huge weapons package for the Ukrainian army, which is heavily on the defensive, at least on land – in contrast to the Black Sea.
Weapons for Ukraine: Germany delivered 30 “Leos” 1 and 90 Marders
Like the overview of military support services of the Federal Republic of Germany for Ukraine (as of February 4th), the requirements for the delivery of 105 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks and 30 Marder infantry fighting vehicles are currently being worked on. Germany had already delivered 30 “Leos” 1 as well as 90 Marder and 18 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces since spring 2023, most of which are now said to be in a repair hub in Lithuania. The Leopard 1 tanks from old industrial and Bundeswehr stocks, on the other hand, are being processed and renovated by the armaments company Rheinmetall.
According to the list of the traffic light federal government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP, Germany is also planning to deliver 15 more Gepard anti-aircraft gun tanks (52 delivered so far) as well as nine IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to secure cities against missile attacks by Russian troops. The tank deliveries are interesting, according to the American news magazine Forbes had recently reported that the Ukrainians would set up a tank brigade solely with German Leopard 1 tanks and Marders.
Weapons deliveries: Up to 135 Leopard 1 tanks are to go to Ukraine
A comparison: According to the Bundeswehr's understanding, a tank brigade consists of two main battle tank battalions and two infantry fighting vehicle battalions. According to ZDF, each battalion has 46 tanks. Would make around 90 main battle tanks as well as 90 armored personnel carriers to transport infantry (foot soldiers) into combat.
By these standards, 135 Leopard 1 tanks and a total of 120 Marders, which are clearly still being retained on the battlefield, would amount to an additional brigade and battalion for the Ukrainians. As early as June 2023, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiew, reported on the delivery promise for 110 “Leos” 1. The current composition and the further weapons deliveries indicate that the Ukrainian army probably wants to try large, closed units in the future.
Ukraine war: Kiev probably wants to put together large units of tanks
And not with small squads of about two main battle tanks and four infantry fighting vehicles, which repeatedly got stuck in Russian minefields during the failed counteroffensive last summer or were shot down from the air by Moscow's powerful Kamov Ka-52 Alligator helicopters. Significantly, the most recent military aid on January 31st included three Wisent engineer tanks and a Biber bridge-laying tank. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense then thanked them for “unwavering support.”
A total of 19 Wisent and 15 Biber mine clearing tanks have gone to the Ukrainians so far. These are support tanks that are supposed to clear mines (wisent) or lay a bridge over a narrow body of water (beaver). They too should probably become part of a combined large association. This could become a real liberation blow on at least one section of the front, after the Ukrainian armed forces have been constantly fending off Russian attacks in many places for weeks, despite spectacular attacks on the annexed Crimean peninsula. (pm)
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