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Sweden delivers 10 Leopard 2 tank variants to Ukraine

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Sweden delivers 10 Leopard 2 tank variants to Ukraine
A Stridsvagn 122 battle tank at the base of the Swedish Army's Gotland Regiment near Visby, Sweden, on Friday, March 25, 2022. (Photo credit: Mikael Sjoberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ukraine has received 10 Swedish variants of Leopard 2A5 tanks known as Stridsvagn 122, manned by Ukrainian crews trained in Sweden, the Swedish military announced on Sept. 21.

"We have given them all that we can in terms of great materiel and good knowledge," Operations Commander of Sweden's Army Staff Mats Ludvig said.

"We wish them all the luck in the world and that they succeed in freeing their country."

Sweden announced the decision to send 10 of its Stridsvagn 122 vehicles, Leopard tanks licensed by Sweden and with additional modifications, on the first anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2023.

Stockholm also provided training to Ukrainian crews on the vehicles on Swedish soil. According to the Swedish military's press statement, the tanks were delivered to Ukraine some time ago, without specifying the exact date.

Before this donation, the Swedish military fielded 120 Stridsvagn 122 tanks in its arsenal, meaning that almost a tenth have been donated to bolster Kyiv's fight against Russian aggression.

Several other partners have provided Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, including Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and Denmark.

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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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