- Sputnik International, 1920, 25.02.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev's forces.

Germany Reportedly Ready to Provide Cold-War Era Tanks to Ukraine Amid Leadership's Hesitation

© AP Photo / SELCAN HACAOGLUA Turkish army Leopard 1 tank drives through a test range at a military base near the western town of Arifiye, Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009.
A Turkish army Leopard 1 tank drives through a test range at a military base near the western town of Arifiye, Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. - Sputnik International, 1920, 12.04.2022
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If German authorities approve the delivery of the tanks, they will join a number of other EU countries that have lately transferred tanks and other armored vehicles to Ukraine, or have declared preparations to do so.
The German defense company Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger spoke on the possible delivery of 50 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, saying that the political will is needed to make that happen, the local newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Monday.
According to the report, the first shipment of the tanks could be on their way to Ukraine within six weeks of the transfer being approved, and the Ukrainian military would receive all of them in three months.
Papperger reportedly assured that the Ukrainian personnel could train, operate and maintain these NATO tanks in days if "certain existing skills" applied. But it is unclear how Ukrainians would be taught to operate or maintain the tanks, as well as how numerous supply channels would be developed.
Some, according to a War Zone's report, are concerned with how quickly the Ukrainian military will be able to deploy Leopard 1s after receiving them, given that the Ukrainians lack institutional experience operating and maintaining this type of tank, as well as supply lines for spare parts and ammunition for their 105mm main cannons.
If the transfer is approved, Papperger reportedly claimed the tanks will be transferred through Rheinmetall Italia, the company's Italian division, raising the likelihood that the tanks in issue once belonged to the Italian military, which operated Leopard 1s until 2008.
The German government usually imposes severe limitations on the re-transfer of German-made weapon systems from one country to another.
Over the weekend, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht claimed the country had "reached a limit" in terms of what it could directly deliver to Ukraine.
The public comment of the national defense contractor is expected by some to increase the pressure on Germany's government to approve the transfer. Despite rising support for providing the tanks to the Ukrainian military from within his own Social Democratic Party and others in the country's current coalition government, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz is said to be holding up the process.
According to the War Zone, allowing a transfer through a third country could allay German political worries over the trade, particularly fears of a direct retaliation from Russian authorities. Despite German officials' claims that the country is attempting to wean itself off Russian-supplied natural gas, it remains a major energy source at the moment.
In light of this, Germany has already reportedly approved some third-party shipments to Ukraine, including one involving improved ex-East German BMP-1 infantry vehicles from the Czech Republic.
Soldiers and military vehicles of the 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade Free State of Saxony of the German Army Bundeswehr, intended for the 'Very High Readiness Joint Task Force' (VJTF) of the 'NATO Response Force' (NRF), are ferried across the Elbe river using the Amphibian M3 floating bridge, during the 'Wettiner Schwert' exercise near Storkau, Germany April 2, 2022.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 03.04.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
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Both reports have not shed light on how long it might take to get the approval of the delivery plan.
This is part of a broader campaign by Ukraine in recent months to bring higher-end weapons into the country, including not only tanks, but surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, as well as artillery systems. For example, in March, an attempt to transfer old Soviet MiG-29s belonging to Poland to Ukraine failed because the US and other NATO partners feared the possible interpretation of arms shipments as an escalation of the conflict.
In the last month, the Russian military said that it has successfully completed the first step of the special operation in Ukraine, and stated that it was now ready to undertake a re-energized operation in and around Ukraine's eastern Donbass region to secure multiple goals as part of its demilitarization and "denazification" campaign.
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