Prague to get German tanks in exchange for Ukraine aid

Germany will send the Czech Republic 15 Leopard 2 A4 tanks in compensation for military equipment it supplied Ukraine, the Czech defence minister announced on Wednesday.

Prague will also start talks on the purchase of another 50 Leopard 2 A7+ tanks, ministry spokesman Jakub Fajnor said in a statement.

“The German side appreciates the extent to which the Czech Republic has helped Ukraine with gifts of military equipment”, he added.

Germany will provide the 15 tanks — most of them combat vehicles, but also including one salvage tank — for free and is due to send them over this year, along with spare parts and ammunition.

Made by Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann company, Leopard tanks are used by several NATO armies including those of Canada, Poland and Norway.

A NATO member since 1999, the Czech Republic has approved military aid to Ukraine worth 3.4 billion koruna (138 million euros, $145 million) since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Fajnor told AFP.

Prague has not disclosed the exact equipment, though local media reports suggest it had sent Soviet-made T-72 tanks and other heavy technology to Ukraine.

Following a cabinet decision last month, Czech arms companies will also repair the Ukrainian military’s tanks and armored vehicles.