Germany, Denmark and Netherlands to send at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine

The tanks will be made battle-ready and delivered to Ukraine between now and into 2024, as well as newer Leopard 2 vehicles

A Leopard 1 tank in Storkau, Germany, on May 19, 2000. AP

Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have announced plans to pool funds to restore at least 100 old Leopard 1 tanks from industry stocks and supply them to Ukraine.

On a surprise visit to Kyiv, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said between 20 and 25 of the tanks would arrive by summer, about 80 by the end of the year and another 100 in 2024, departing Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov's office said after their meeting.

Robert Habeck, Germany's Vice Chancellor, said on a visit to Washington that while Ukraine should have a double-digit number of German-made Leopard 1 tanks at its disposal in the first quarter, it was unclear how many of the 178 tanks his country had authorised would ultimately be sent.

"The numbers are there but they have to be refurbished for battle, re-equipped, so we don't know exactly how many," he said after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

"But it's a large number to repel Russia's spring offensive."

Asked whether the decision to send them, after months of mounting pressure on Berlin, should have been made earlier, Mr Habeck said: "I hope the decision was taken at just the right time."

The joint statement about the plans by Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands said Ukraine would receive at least 100 of the Leopard 1 A5 tanks in coming months, as well as training, logistical support, spare parts and an ammunition package.

Russia and Ukraine conflict latest - in pictures

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  A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters

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  Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters

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  Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty

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  Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters

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  A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters

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  A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters

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  A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP

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  Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters

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  Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters

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  A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters

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  The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters

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  A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP

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  Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP

Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the Leopard 1 was "definitely still suitable" for combat use despite being an older model.

"It's really a tested tank," Ms Ollongren told Dutch national broadcaster NOS.

"They're being fixed up and made battle-ready, so they will definitely be useful for the Ukrainians, and also better than a number of Russian tanks."

Details of the deal still need to be worked out with the companies that own the tanks, according to the statement.

It was also not immediately clear whether there would be cost-sharing with the companies.

There are about 180 Leopard 1 tanks in Germany owned by arms maker Rheinmetall and a company in northern Germany.

Standing beside Mr Reznikov in Kyiv, Mr Pistorius said he had earlier seen off Ukrainian forces leaving for training in Germany on the more modern Leopard 2 tanks his country has also promised Ukraine.

Mr Reznikov tweeted a picture of himself and Mr Pistorius posing with a scale model Leopard in a display case, writing: "The 'first' Leopard 2 has arrived in Kyiv."

Drones and weapons supplied to Ukraine - in pictures

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  Turkeysold its Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine. They can fly at an altitude of 7,500 metres and swoop down to attack targets. AFP

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  The US also gave 700 of its Switchblade kamikaze drones. AP

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  Cheap commercial drones like the DJI Mavic series have been modified in Ukraine. AFP

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  Germany will follow the US in providing a Patriot missile defence system, pictured above, to Ukraine. Reuters

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  FIM-92 Stinger rockets have been donated to help Ukrainian infantry engage aircraft and drones. The shoulder-launched missiles can shoot down aircraft. Photo: US Army

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  Germany donated 25 Flakpanzer Gepard all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. AFP

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  The High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, can simultaneously launch several precision-guided missiles. The US has given Ukraine projectiles with a range of about 130 kilometres. EPA

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  M777 howitzers and about 300,000 shells have been donated to give Ukraine an accurate artillery platform with a range of 50 kilometres. EPA

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  Ukraine has been sent at least 5,000 of the anti-tank weapons known as NLAWs. These shoulder-launched rockets have proved deadly in the field. PA

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  Ukrainian troops have also received thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles. Bloomberg

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  Poland and the Czech Republic sent Russian-made T72 tanks, which Ukraine has used for decades, to ease integration and cut down training time. EPA

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  France as announced its plan to give AMX-10 RC “scout tanks” to Ukraine. "This is the first time that western-made armoured vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," a French official said. AFP

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  Shortly after the French, the US said it would send Bradley fighting vehicles to provide "a level of firepower and armour that would bring advantages on the battlefield”. Reuters

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  The UK sent their phased-out Saxon armoured vehicles. They found new life protecting infantry units in transit and dealing with tough off-road conditions. Getty Images

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  Denmark has supplied Harpoon anti-ship launchers to help Ukraine defend its coasts. AFP

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  The US sent 20 Soviet and Russian made Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine that had initially been bought for the Afghan government in 2010. AP

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  Germany has also supplied its latest version of the IRIS-T air defence system designed to shoot down missiles at altitudes up to 20 kilometres. Getty Images

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  Ukraine has also been given thousands of small arms, bullet proof vests, medical kits, litres of fuel, granades and other weapons systems. Reuters

The German Defence Ministry later tweeted that the actual Leopard 2s would be available at the end of March.

Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands said their Leopard 1 initiative was open to more partners, adding that Belgium had shown "initial interest to participate".

Earlier, the head of Rheinmetall said it would send Ukraine between 20 and 25 Leopards this year, with the rest of the 88 Leopard 1 tanks it owns in total to be sent next year.

The move follows the German government's decision last month, amid mounting international pressure, to deliver more modern Leopard 2 battle tanks from army stocks.