A Ukrainian ally secretly shipped much needed weapons to the country

An important Ukrainian ally recently secretly shipped some much needed weapons to the country. These weapons are vital for the Ukrainian Armed Forces if they wish to continue the fight against Russia.

El Mundo reported the second batch of Patriot missiles promised to Ukraine as part of a security agreement were on their way to Ukraine, yet that was the most intriguing news. 

The shipment of assistance sent to Kyiv also included a second batch of Leopard tanks and more artillery ammunition, both of which are a major help for the embattled country. 

The Ukrainian news website Militarnyi reported that the tanks being shipped to Ukraine were Leopard 2A4. These are some of the more capable tanks in Kyiv’s Western fleet.  

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons Böhringer Friedrich, Own Work, CC BY-SA 2.5

Forbes previously reported on the possibility of Spain sending more Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine and noted the donation would boost the number of 2A4s in operation to 74. 

Spain has 327 tanks in its military warehouses as of 2022, and 108 of those tanks were the Leopard 2A4, which the country’s military purchased from Germany back in 1998. 

Forbes noted that Spain’s Leopard 2A4s were no longer active and were housed at the Casetas Logistics Center in Zaragoza but many of the tanks weren’t in great condition. 

Citing Spanish media, Forbes reported in March 2024 when rumors that more Leopard 2A4s could be sent to Ukraine that only 53 of the old tanks were repairable as of 2023. 

Forbes also reported that 33 of Spain’s Leopard 2A4 tanks required extensive repairs, work the outlet noted was being done at the Santa Barbara Sistemas’ facility in Seville. 

Spain originally planned to send 20 Leopard 2A4 tanks as part of its assistance to Kyiv according to Militanyi. However, the number of tanks actually transferred is still unclear. 

What tanks were transferred to the Ukrainians have been repaired and modernized, so they are ready to be placed into frontline combat and defend the country from Russia. 

An unknown number of 155mm artillery shells were also transferred to Ukraine, which were manufactured by the Spanish company Expal, but that wasn’t all Spain provided.  

Spain also sent the Ukrainians “counter-drone systems, optoelectronic surveillance and tracking systems, and modules for remote control of weapons,” according to Militarnyi. 

Spanish government sources also revealed that the weapons, systems, and ammunition outlined were transferred to Ukraine on June 21st, 2024, and were already in the fight. 

In May 2024, Spain signed a security pact with Ukraine in which it promised to provide more than $1 billion in military aid in 2024 and an additional $5 billion through to 2027 according to Politico. 

“Spain has been supporting Ukraine for two years. Unfortunately, Russian aggression continues and we have to increase our support,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez while speaking at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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