Ukraine bolsters its arsenal with 90 Leopard 1 tanks amid refurbishment push

The German weekly WirtschaftsWoche has reported that the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine is progressing better than previously feared. The publication discovered that Kyiv has already received 90 Leopard 1 tank, supplied by Germany and the Danish Ministry of Defense. The Leopard 1, an older variant of the currently Bundeswehr-employed Leopard 2 main battle tank, often required refurbishment.

According to WirtschaftsWoche, despite the delays in shipments and the necessity for some Leopard 1 tanks to undergo repairs, Ukraine has acquired around 90 of these vehicles so far. Wolfgang Beckers from the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG), who oversees the refurbishment of the Leopards, told the magazine that more than half of the tanks Germany pledged to Ukraine had been dispatched - 60 out of 110. Additionally, Denmark has sent another 30 upgraded units.

WirtschaftsWoche also suggests that by the end of June, another 20 Leopard 1 tanks are expected to be refurbished for Ukraine, with 25 more scheduled for delivery in the latter half of 2024. This implies that by 2024, Ukraine might possess up to 135 such vehicles. The Leopard 1 tanks, dating back to development in the 1960s and entering service in 1965, are not the most modern, notably featuring less robust armour compared to more recent models.

As Military Today highlights: "Germany reckoned that the contemporary Soviet tank T-62 could breach the front armour of the Leopard 1 from a distance of roughly 1.8 km. A newer Soviet model, the T-72, was believed capable of penetrating it from over 2.9 km away." The primary weapon of the Leopard 1 tanks is the L7A3 105 mm rifled cannon, complemented by two 7.62mm MG3 machine guns and a smoke grenade launcher.