Poland has successfully completed the repair and return of the first batch of Ukrainian Leopard tanks, marking a significant step in Ukraine's defense against Russia's ongoing invasion.
The Polish state-owned defense firm, Bumar-Łabędy, was responsible for renovating the tanks.
Poland's state-owned defense holding company, PGZ, made the announcement, emphasizing their commitment to providing genuine assistance to Ukrainian soldiers amid recent tensions with international partners regarding support for Ukraine.
The renovation work, considered a high-priority endeavor due to the gravity of the situation, was accomplished in a record-breaking period of less than two months, according to Bumar-Łabędy. The tanks were officially handed over to Ukraine on September 29 and are set to join the front lines soon.
Earlier this year, PGZ had disclosed plans for a service center for T-64 tanks in collaboration with Ukraine's Ukroboronprom. The service center was expected to handle German-made Leopard tanks as well. Negotiations between Poland and Germany followed, including reports suggesting Berlin's withdrawal from the arrangement. However, later in July, a German defense ministry spokesman confirmed that a deal had been reached, and the first Leopard tanks arrived for servicing at the end of July.
While Western countries have pledged to donate 50 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine, Poland has played a crucial role by delivering 14 of them. Despite being a strong ally of Ukraine since Russia's invasion, Poland and Ukraine have been engaged in a dispute concerning Ukrainian grain exports, resulting in Poland's unilateral ban on these exports.
This dispute has led to increased tensions between Poland and Germany, with the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, announcing a halt in weapons shipments to Ukraine to prioritize Poland's defense capabilities. Despite these tensions, Poland has been the largest contributor in terms of GDP to support Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees since the conflict began. Photo by Bundeswehr-Fotos, Wikimedia commons.