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Spain says 10 more Leopard 2 tanks en route to Ukraine

by Kateryna Denisova and The Kyiv Independent news desk July 15, 2024 7:30 PM 1 min read

Ukrainian troops with a Leopard 2 tank in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Sept. 16, 2023. (Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Madrid sent another 10 refurbished Leopard 2A4 battle tanks to Ukraine, the Spanish Defense Ministry announced on July 15.

The tanks were repaired, maintained and tested at the Santa Barbara Sistemas manufacturer in the province of Seville, according to the statement. With this batch, the total number of Leopard 2A4 tanks handed over from Spain to Ukraine has reached 20.

The next batch is scheduled to be shipped in the second half of 2024.

Next to tanks, Kyiv will also receive several excavators and a number of anti-tank missiles. The equipment is expected to arrive in Poland this weekend before being delivered to Ukraine's Armed Forces.

The Spanish government has provided Ukraine with military, humanitarian, and economic assistance since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

In late May, President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement between the two countries.

Under the deal, Madrid will provide Kyiv with the support of 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in 2024 and 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) by 2027.

Authors: Kateryna Denisova, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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