The sharp increase in military aid involves providing Ukraine with additional weapons, but given Berlin's previous statements that the Bundeswehr has nearly exhausted its stockpiles, it now raises a number of questions about what kind of weapons, military equipment and ammunition can Ukraine receive.
According to foreign media, the increase in military aid to Ukraine from 3 billion euros to 15 billion euros is due to Germany's intentions to provide Ukraine with modern air defense systems, which have already been successfully tested on the territory of Ukraine.
At the same time, given the cost of a SkyShield complex, we can talk about the procurement of several dozen such air defense systems. However, it is more than obvious that the situation will not be limited to the supply of these weapons only.
At the same time, the German magazine Spiegel, citing Bundeswehr military sources, reports that Germany has completed the transfer of 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine. These combat vehicles are already on its soil.
At present, it is known that due to the fact that Russia carefully controls the transportation of military cargo from the territory of European countries to Ukraine, the transportation route of the Leopard 2A6 tanks was carefully hidden.
According to some sources, the tanks are no longer in the western part of Ukraine, but in the central one, they are preparing to be sent directly to the contact line, where the Marder support combat vehicles that were transferred to Ukraine last week are located.
Taking into account that earlier Poland also completed the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, today the Ukrainian army has at least 32 combat vehicles of this type. However, in fact, Kiev also received so-called "unofficial tanks", and today the Armed Forces of Ukraine have about 100 Leopard 2 tanks of various modifications.
Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks were seen in the area of Konstantinovka settlement, Chasov Yar and Slavyansk, which indicates that these combat vehicles can be used to attack the Bakhmut direction of the front.
Ukraine walks a fine line with its international allies on the issue of tanks, knowing that its ability to fight Russia depends heavily on the weapons of its NATO partners.
Kiev has repeatedly requested tanks from its allies, arguing that it needs them to defeat Russia, particularly to counter Moscow's expected spring offensive.
The Bundeswehr is getting new tanks
The Bundeswehr, seeing its reserve dwindling, decided to replace the tanks delivered to Ukraine. The German army is going to buy the new Leopard-2-A7V.
Negotiations with Munich tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) are at an advanced stage.
German MP Strack-Zimmermann said: “We have ordered new Leopard 2s. This is the A7, the latest model. Why are we giving Ukraine some from the Bundeswehr stockpile. And in this vacuum that is created, we immediately ordered new ones to be built so that we don't end up in a quagmire with the Bundeswehr," he said.
These gaps will obviously now be filled relatively quickly. Even if the production of a tank takes time, as Strack-Zimmermann pointed out. "With a device like this, you always have to count around two years. They are not on the shelf for us to put in the cart," he said and pointed to the order of other Leopard 2s.
