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Polish Leopard wants to deliver 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Ciara SchlenzNews editor
The probability that Ukraine will receive the long-awaited Leopard 2 main battle tank from Germany is increasing every day. It has already been decided to supply Ukraine with German-made combat vehicles, as Poland presses on, President Andrzej Duda (50) said during a visit to Lviv. There should be a total of 14 pieces in the delivery.
The Western-made tanks are “the work of our entire anti-war coalition and a new level of our capabilities,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 44, said on Twitter. Zelensky thanked his colleagues for their “further expression of unwavering and principled support for Ukraine.” But why did Ukraine insist on providing this tank for so long?
“Leo” is considered one of the most powerful tanks. As Alexandre Vautravers, a colonel and board member of the Swiss Officers’ Association (SOG), explains to Blick, it was even considered the best-armed machine in the world. No wonder: a 120 mm smoothbore cannon serves as the main weapon, a smoke grenade launcher and two machine guns are also present. “Rhinemetall’s L44 gun later became the NATO standard.”
“He can identify targets very quickly”
In its latest version, the tracked vehicle weighs about 60 tons and can hit its targets while stationary or moving, thanks to a turret that can rotate up to 360 degrees. And at high speed – “Leo” can drive at a speed of 63 kilometers per hour. “Who shoots, hits. If you hit, you get killed,” said Ralf Raths, director of the German Tank Museum. “Morning Post” – thus getting to the heart of the tank’s mission.
The Leopard 2 was the first tank to have a wide periscope, giving it a “hunter-killer” capability. “That means he can identify targets very quickly and fight accordingly,” says Voutravers to Bligh. In an emergency, the tank can be operated without electronics, electricity and even water damage.
The Cheetah 2, like many Western tanks, is said by critics to be too heavy. The Swiss expert disagreed: “Although the Leopard 2 is heavier than the T-72 or T-90 at 56.5 tons, its ground pressure is lower.” In the end, weight doesn’t make a difference.
The active tank was a real export hit by the German arms company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. 19 countries rely on the Panther 2 – the Swiss Army has 134 tanks modernized in 2006.
Big lead on the battlefield
“Leo” is specifically designed to combat enemy tanks – specifically the Russian T-72, T-80 and T-98 used by Russian troops in Ukraine. This may be one of the reasons why the Ukrainian government insists on providing these vehicles.
“Western tanks can observe and fight on the move, while Eastern tanks prefer to observe and stop firing – making them an easy target,” says Voutravers. “Manual reloading of Western tanks is faster than automatic systems of Russian design. Very limited, very fast attacks can overwhelm the opponent. » “Leo” will give Ukraine a huge advantage on the battlefield.
Say no at first, but yes eventually
Germany’s approval is needed for Poland’s announced tank delivery to actually take place. Finland also expressed interest in supplying “Lios” to Ukraine.
In Berlin, people react cautiously to Poland’s announcement. Asked on Wednesday whether the federal government would abandon its position on the Leopard 2 issue, government spokesman Steffen Hepstreet, 50, said: “I don’t think that’s possible at the moment.”
So the bricklaying will continue. However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (41) did not give up and tweeted: “It’s always the same pattern: first they say no, then they fiercely defend their decision, only to say yes. We still don’t understand why the German government is doing this. However, it must be emphasized that leopard birth alone does not determine war.
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