Poland repairs first batch of damaged Ukrainian Leopard tanks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Oct 2023 22:35
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Poland has repaired the first batch of damaged Leopard tanks for Ukraine, adding to the country's arsenal of weapons.

A Polish soldier walks next to the Leopard 2 tanks during training at a military base and test range in Swietoszow, Poland, February 13, 2023. (AP)

Poland has repaired the first batch of damaged Leopard tanks for Ukraine, the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa defense holding said on Monday.

"While others are making statements about the future, we are acting in accordance with the commitments with the Ukrainian side," the holding said, taking a dig against other Western allies.

The repaired German-made tanks were received by Ukraine after work was completed on them in the Bumar-Labedy mechanical plant in Upper Silesia.

Although Polish-Ukrainian relations have seen increased turbulence, Warsaw remains one of Kiev's most important backers, considering its strategic position as a middleman between Western Europe and Ukraine.

The repaired tanks follow several deliveries made by Kiev's Western allies including a number of US-made Abrams M1A1 tanks, Leopard 2 tanks provided by Germany and Spain, and UK-made Challenger 2 tanks loaded with depleted uranium shells.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's continuous lobbying in the West since the start of the conflict in February 2022 has provided the country's Armed Forces with a number of top-of-the-line weapons some of which have arrived on the battlefield only to face difficulties in securing expected results due to extensive Russian defenses.

Some of the promised weapons to Ukraine include the aforementioned armored vehicles, Patriot air defense systems, F-16 fighter jets, long-range cruise missiles, attack drones, controversial cluster munitions, and depleted uranium shells.

The expansion of the Ukrainian war arsenal has only led to further reciprocated action by Russia, sidelining genuine peace efforts made by several neutral nations such as China and an African delegation that visited both warring parties in June of this year.