Spain to transfer Leopard 2A4 battle tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine
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The Spanish government is preparing to transfer to Ukraine 10 Leopard 2A4 battle tanks and 20 M113 armored personnel carriers, which are in the Spanish army service.
It was reported by the Spanish Internet portal InfoDefensa.
According to the publication's sources, those responsible for defense are currently studying the possibility of transferring units of these weapons to the Ukrainian government in response to Kyiv's repeated requests. The decision will be a turning point in the type of military aid that the government of Pedro Sánchez provides to Ukraine, as, until now, it has mainly been limited to defense materials and light weapons, the newspaper writes.
The operation to transfer this military equipment to Kyiv can be structured as a "triangle." After the Leopard 2A4 and M113 become Ukraine's property, the Ukrainian government will finance their renewal and modernization on the territory of Spain at the expense of the EU's European Peace Fund. To do this, it will be necessary to conclude a contract with Spanish companies. The final stage will be the transfer of equipment to the combat zone.
A group of Ukrainian experts visited Spain in the last two weeks to review the equipment state and determine the level of need for renewal and modernization.
According to Spanish sources, the weapons systems that will be transferred to Ukraine are not in use and are in storage.
The sources said that it is currently premature to say the amount of funding for the modernization of weapons and the time frame of the transfer.
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