Most Leopard Tanks Unfit for Battle in Ukraine

Most Germany-supplied Leopard tanks  are unfit for battle in Ukraine owing to lack of spares and poorly skilled technical personnel.

In March 2023, Germany supplied Ukraine with 18 modern battle tanks but a majority of them are grounded  due to lack of spare parts besides poorly trained Ukrainian repair personnel who have caused further damage to the tanks during repair attempts.

Sebastian Schäfer, German Bundestag deputy from the Green Party along with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, visited a repair workshop in Lithuania and noted that only a few tanks are operational.

Schaefer emphasized the need for urgent measures to improve the spare parts situation and suggested better training for mechanics, according a report in T-Online.

"Repairs take a long time because there are not enough spare parts. In my view, there is an urgent need for measures to quickly improve the spare parts situation. There is also the problem that the Ukrainian army sometimes tries to repair tanks, which then leads to further damage to the vehicles. It is necessary to check to what extent this can be prevented by better training of mechanics or by providing additional instructions ,” Schaefer was quoted as saying.

Additionally, he highlighted the issue of lengthy transportation to Lithuania for repairs and urged defense companies such as Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann to establish infrastructure for tank repairs in Ukraine. Schaefer called for extending repair capabilities to complex Leopard 2 systems within Ukraine, stressing the importance of addressing these issues promptly.

While Lithuania is a reliable partner, Schäfer emphasizes the need for continuous support to Ukraine, anticipating a potential decline in U.S. assistance.