Germany this Wednesday presented the Leopard tanks it will soon send to Kiev, a “bitter loss” for the ill-equipped Bundeswehr (army), the defense minister said, but an indispensable gift for “the Ukrainians to win the war” .
A week after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius agreed to send these armored vehicles, as expected by the Ukrainian armed forces, he visited the army battalion that will donate its 14 Leopards, stationed in Augustdorf, in the northwest of the country .
For the 550 or so soldiers in Battalion 203, it is “a bitter loss,” Pistorius admitted.
“Of course their hearts bleed at the thought of these tanks being given away now, but they understand, because that’s the way it is, Ukraine needs all our support.”he added.
Wearing a military uniform, the minister expressed his emotion: “Two hearts are beating in my chest,” he said, making sure to think about the needs of the German army and those of Ukraine at the same time.
The goal is for “Ukraine to win this war” against Russia, he insisted.
Time is running out: Berlin wants to deliver its Leopards “in late March, early April”, as part of an agreement between allied countries willing to deliver “between 120 and 140” tanks, according to Kiev, to the Russian army, which recently stepped up its offensive.
The logistical challenge of sending the tanks to Ukraine is a closely guarded secret, but Ukrainians must first learn how to operate these German-made machines, which are among the most modern in the world.
The German Defense Minister indicated that they will receive training in Germany in the coming days, in the form of an “intensive course” of about six weeks, in Munster, in the north of the country, the only training center for piloting armored personnel carriers. vehicles. of the German army, where the latter is already teaching Ukrainian soldiers how to use the Marder, lighter armored vehicles designed to transport troops.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than eight million to European countries – according to the most recent data from the UN. which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
Currently, 17.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russian security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and Russia political and economic sanctions.
The UN presented as confirmed since the start of the war, which entered its 343rd day this Wednesday, 7,110 civilian deaths and 11,547 wounded, underlining that these numbers are far below the real ones.
Source: DN
