Denmark, Netherlands to finance delivery of additional Leopard tanks to Ukraine

Ukraine's armed forces have lost their first Leopard main battle tanks and now Denmark and the Netherlands want to finance supplies to replace the destroyed equipment, the Handelsblatt German media outlet reports.

These two countries, according to the media report, financed the purchase of 14 tanks which will be supplied by the Rheinmetall company. Contracts have already been concluded, newspaper sources claim. The sum is a three-digit figure in millions of euros.

The first tanks will be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in January next year. Until then, Rheinmetall will repair Leopard 2A4 which the company took from the warehouses of various countries armed with such tanks.

In addition to Leopard 1 and 2, Rheinmetall supplies Kyiv with Marder IFVs and ammunition for them. CEO Armin Papperger also agreed with Ukraine on the future production of tanks and ammunition in the country.

As reported, several German-made tanks, which were given to Ukraine by Western partners, were probably lost at the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Leopard is currently considered the most powerful battle tank in the world.