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Media: Denmark, Netherlands buy 14 Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine

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Media: Denmark, Netherlands buy 14 Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine
Ukrainian military personnel receives armored maneuver training on German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks at the Spanish army's training center of San Gregorio in Zaragoza on March 13, 2023. (OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images)

Denmark and the Netherlands have signed contracts to purchase 14 Leopard 2 tanks from the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall for Ukraine, the German newspaper Handelsblatt wrote on June 15, citing NATO officials.

According to the news outlet, the two countries paid a "three-digit million sum."

The German government was also involved in the deal, as its consent is necessary for exporting domestic-produced arms, Handelsblatt added.

The Dutch and the Danish governments revealed the plans to purchase more than a dozen of German-made Leopard 2 tanks in April, promising to deliver them by "early 2024."

Amid Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive, Russian sources began to share alleged footage of destroyed Western equipment, including Leopard 2 tanks.

According to the open-source investigation group Oryx, Ukrainian forces might have lost one Leopard 2A4 and three Leopard 2A6s, as well as three Leopard 2R mine-clearing tanks.

Kyiv did not reveal the extent of its losses and Berlin said it has "no information" regarding the destroyed Leopards. However, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Melnyk has called on Germany to provide further tanks and other armored vehicles to offset the current losses.

Pistorius: Germany to prepare over 100 Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine this year
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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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