Spain prepares to transfer 19 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
Pravda Ukraine
Spain is preparing a new batch of battle tanks for delivery to Ukraine.
Source: La Vanguardia, as reported by European Pravda
Details: There will be 19 Leopard 2A4s prepared at the Santa Bárbara Sistemas plant in Alcalá de Guadaíra (Seville). The main battle tanks will be delivered in two batches: ten by the end of June and another nine in September.
This order was issued by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who met with representatives from the country’s major defence companies alongside Defence Minister Margarita Robles. During the meeting, Sánchez reiterated the government’s strong condemnation of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. And it is in this context that a new delivery will occur.
At a time when experts predict a sudden imbalance in favour of Russia due to Ukraine’s lack of response capability, the head of government was interested in what Spanish industry could do for future supplies.
After rejecting the capabilities of the Air Force and Navy, all attention turned to the army, which has been storing battle tanks at Logistics Group No. 41 in Casetas, Zaragoza, for over ten years. Last year, ten of these machines were seized and shipped.
Robles then claimed that Leopard 2A4s in Casetas were “in a deplorable state”. However, the Santa Bárbara Sistemas plant was able to prepare them for shipment to Ukraine. The operation is now expected to be repeated, but with twice as many cars and machines in worse condition than those sent before.
Sánchez instructed them to be ready for shipment in late June. The president plans to have battle tanks in Ukraine by the time he attends the NATO summit in Washington on 9 July.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles issued an appeal to her country’s population in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons.
“Europe must realise that the danger is very close; it is not a pure hypothesis; it is real. Countries bordering Russia perceive this very well; maybe those of us in the south don’t have that awareness,” Robles noted.
“We must be fully aware that our democratic values and peace in Europe are under threat,” she added.
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