Ukraine Only Has a Few German Leopard Tanks Left: Lawmaker

Ukraine's military only has a few Leopard 2A6 tanks left that are fit for combat after receiving 18 from Germany in March, according to German politician and economist Sebastian Schäfer.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the United States, Germany and other NATO countries provided support to bolster the Eastern European nation's defenses. While the U.S. has been Ukraine's biggest supporter since the conflict erupted, Germany has given the second most support, according to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. In November, Germany's defense ministry announced a fresh support package for Ukraine worth around $1.1 billion, including an array of new weapons.

In an effort to replace aging Soviet-era weaponry, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made repeated calls for Western-made key battle tanks, such as the German-made Leopards, ahead of Ukraine's backers consenting to the deliveries in January 2023. U.S. President Joe Biden also pledged to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which prompted Germany to send 18 Leopard 2 vehicles. In addition to Germany, several other countries, including Canada, Poland and Portugal, have also donated Leopards to Ukraine.

Russian forces on Friday launched what has been called the largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began. The Associated Press, citing Ukrainian officials, said at least 30 civilians were killed and at least 144 were wounded in the series of strikes that took place across the country. Russia's missile and drone attacks have since continued, prompting Zelensky to issue another plea for more weapons and ammunition from Ukraine's Western allies.

However, some of the Leopard tanks reportedly sat unused in storage or needed repairs before being sent to Ukraine, sparking concerns about the vehicles' battle-readiness. Prior to Berlin pledging to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, the head of German military manufacturer Rheinmetall told German newspaper Bild that stocks of Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks "must be completely dismantled and rebuilt."

Schäfer, who has served in Germany's Bundestag since 2021, recently penned a letter to arms companies after visiting a tank repair facility in Lithuania last month, according to German media reports.

The Green Party politician is calling for steps to make the tanks operational so they can be used by Ukrainian forces amid the country's 22-month war with Russia.

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday to Schäfer, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.

Schäfer wrote to the arms manufacturers involved, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, saying that only a "small number" of the tanks are still usable, German news website Der Spiegel reports.

"Unfortunately, it has to be noted that only a very small number of the main battle tanks delivered can still be used by Ukraine," the politician said in the letter obtained by Der Spiegel. Representatives for the industrial repair shop in Lithuania told European media that repairs take "a very long time" because there is a lack of spare parts.

Schäfer said Ukraine's armed forces have tried to repair the tanks themselves, but the efforts only caused more damage.

He also called for better training and additional instructions for the Ukrainian military to avoid such delays in the future, adding there is an "urgent need for action" to quickly repair the tanks.