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| Germany Returns to Send 7 Gepard Tanks to Ukraine to Fight the Russian Army |
Berlin - Germany is preparing to send 7 Gepard tanks to Ukraine . This delivery adds to the number of tanks Germany is sending to Ukraine. Previously, Germany had supplied 30 air defense tanks that had been used to fight against the Russian army.
Since last April, Germany has delivered 30 Gepard tanks to Ukraine, equipment which has proven effective in combating helicopters and drones deployed by Russia, according to government sources.
“The Gepard system can be a game-changer,” said Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Olexander Scherba last month on Twitter. “Hopefully we have more of them,” he continued, as quoted by Anadolu Agency.
According to Spiegel magazine, which first reported the number of additional tanks, 7 Gepard tanks will arrive in Ukraine in Spring 2023. Currently, 7 of these tanks are being repaired by Munich-based weapons manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).
The German government itself did not say when it plans to deliver the tanks, which it says are from factory stock and whose delivery in some cases is contingent on ongoing repair or production steps.
According to Spiegel's report, the German Government will also send more ammunition to the Gepard along with additional tanks. The supply of ammunition for the Gepard proved problematic, as Switzerland, which had ammunition in stock, refused to supply it, citing its neutral status.
“The government is holding talks with various manufacturers to try to get more ammunition and potentially reach a situation where Switzerland is no longer needed,” said a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense at a press conference, Friday (2/12/2022).
Previously, Ukraine had been pressing its Western partners to supply Kiev with air defense systems and transformers to blunt Russian attacks on its power grid and heating infrastructure since early October.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a security conference in Berlin on Thursday that the allies agreed on the urgent need to assist Ukraine, including with air defense systems. However, it is important that the delivered system is operational, including having enough ammunition, spare parts. and maintenance.