MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2023) Ukraine could receive up to 160 Leopard 1 tanks from the German defense industry stocks, Handelsblatt reported on Saturday, citing sources in the industry.
German companies Rheinmetall and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau could repair most of Leopard 1 tanks that they have in their stocks and then prepare them for exports to Ukraine, according to the newspaper.
On Friday, German cabinet spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that the government had approved exports of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, giving no details on how many tanks would be supplied.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported earlier that day, citing government sources, that the government greenlighted the transfer of 88 Leopard 1 tanks, though there are problems with ammunition, since the tanks are no longer being produced.
In April 2022, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev after Russia started its military operation in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that providing Ukraine with weapons was not conducive to peace negotiations and would have a detrimental effect on the conflict.
