Tanks for Nothing: Majority of German Leopard 2 Tanks Not Working in Ukraine
[Breitbart] Only a “very small number” of modern battle tanks provided to Ukraine from Germany are still in use, a member of the governing coalition in the Bundestag has revealed.
Green Party parliamentarian and defence expert Sebastian Schäfer admitted this week that the majority of the 18 Leopard 2 tanks supplied to Ukraine are no longer operational after being deployed into the battlefield last year.
“Unfortunately it has to be stated that that only a very small number of the battle tanks delivered by Ukraine can be used,” he wrote in a letter to defence contractors according to the German paper of record Welt.
Schäfer claimed that the central issue facing the operability of the German-supplied tanks — aside from being taken down in strikes from Russia — was a lack of spare parts to conduct repairs. This has been further exacerbated by attempts by the Ukrainian military to conduct repairs on their own, which he said have only resulted in further damage to the tanks.
However, spare parts notwithstanding, the admission that most of the German tanks have been taken down in some form on the battlefield against Russia will likely serve as a severe knock on the confidence in the Leopard 2 tanks, which are the premier land-fighting vehicle in the German arsenal. The tank has previously suffered embarrassing defeats, including against the Islamic State in Syria.
Posted by: Woodrow 2024-01-07 |