Stock image of a Leopard tank DPA va Europa Press | EUROPAPRESS
The Minister of Defense insists that the revision and tuning of the tanks continues, some in a sorry state after a decade in storage
14 feb 2023 . Updated at 2:31 p.m.
The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, announced this Tuesday that the Spanish Armed Forces 55 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in handling the Leopard tanks that Spain has promised to send to Ukraine, although it has evaded specifying the total number.
Speaking to the media on the margins of the meeting in Brussels of allied ministers who support Ukraine, Robles explained that Spain will receive between 50 and 55 Ukrainian troops at the end of this week who will be specifically instructed in the battle tank that Spain promised to deploy together with a series of countries at the end of January.
The minister has evaded confirming the final number of Leopards that Spain will provide, but she has indicated that the tanks and trained crews may be ready by the end of March. Just as important as the number of tanks sent is the training of crews and maintenance. This goes closely together, she has underlined herself.
Robles has insisted that the revision and fine-tuning of the Leopard 2A4 that Spain plans to send to Ukraine continues, since some of them are in a state of repair. sorry state after more than a decade stored and unused in a warehouse in Zaragoza.
A coalition of countries, of which Spain is a part, has been announcing its contributions to the Ukrainian Army, although in the case of Spain its contribution is still pending confirmation while the Santa Bárbara company is already working on the repair and rehabilitation of five Leopard2A4 combat tanks, as confirmed to Europa Press by military sources.
The shipment will be made with prudence, discretion and always in coordination with partners and allieshas defended the person in charge of Defense, who has indicated that the final figure of this heavy weapon will have to do with the repair and coordinated work with the allies, although Spain has already decided that it will contribute the Leopard2A4 model, compared to other groups of countries who choose to deliver Leopard1 or the Soviet T-72 tank and the post-Soviet PT-91.
Spain, within its possibilities and availability, fully integrated and coordinated with the allied countries, is going to send battle tanks, Robles has settled.
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there will be no planes
On the other hand, regarding the supply of combat planes that the Ukrainian president, Volodmir Zelenski, has requested during his tour of Europe that took him to London, Paris and Brussels, the Spanish minister has ruled out the shipment since Spain does not have the F16 that kyiv claims.
In this regard, the military coalition for Ukraine formed by NATO members advocates prudence and rules out taking the step for now, pointing to the risk of escalation and after recalling that it remains to be seen if Russia uses its air force against Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has insisted that the priority right now is to send tanks and ammunition, noting that at the moment fighters are not an urgent issue. The issue of combat aircraft is not the most urgent issue, but it is an ongoing discussion and we have consultations between allies about the type of systems that must be provided to Ukraine, he pointed out when asked about this issue.
Ukrainian soldiers begin their training with the Leopard 2 in Germany
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