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Spain plans to send up to six Leopard tanks to Ukraine — newspaper

According to the paper, the final number will depend on the condition of the 53 tanks that have been stored in Zaragoza for ten years

A Leopard 2 tank AP Photo/Michael Sohn

A Leopard 2 tank

© AP Photo/Michael Sohn

MADRID, February 1. /TASS/. The Spanish authorities plan to send four to six refurbished Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine in its initial shipment, the El Pais newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing government sources.

According to the paper, the final number will depend on the condition of the 53 tanks that have been stored in Zaragoza for ten years. The Spanish Defense Ministry is currently in talks on their urgent restoration.

The newspaper also writes that refurbishing a Leopard tank may cost over half a million euros. The estimated duration of restoration is two and a half months, which is equal to the length of the training course that the country’s army has developed for Ukrainian tank crews. Training will be held at the National Training Center in Zaragoza.

The newspaper specifies that Spain’s Defense Ministry could also provide Kiev with a set of spare parts for Leopard tanks, while sending 120 mm munitions is a more difficult issue because Spain does not produce such ammunition and would have to use the army’s stocks.

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