Naiev: New units created in Armed Forces of Ukraine to be equipped with new Western equipment

“We need a large number of Western tanks. They are much better than the Soviet models and can help us advance. We are creating new military units. And our next actions will depend on their combat readiness. Therefore, Western assistance is extremely important,” Commander of the Joint Forces, Lieutenant General Serhiy Naiev told CNN.

The Ukrainian military has to train units on the new equipment and integrate it into its existing formations, he noted.

“The whole unit should be equipped with the same vehicle, so a whole battalion is equipped with Bradley, if we get it, or with Leopards,” Naiev said.

As reported, at the 8th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on January 20, the heads of defense agencies of more than 50 countries did not reach an agreement on the supply of Leopard tanks. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that a corresponding decision could be made in the near future.

At the same time, Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov reported agreements with Poland and Britain to start training missions for Ukrainian crews on Leopard and Challenger tanks, respectively.

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