BERLIN, February 27. /TASS/. Only 30% of the Leopard tanks that are in service with the German Armed Forces are ready for combat, head of the Armed Forces Association Andre Wustner said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
According to him, the German army has not ordered a single self-propelled howitzer out of those that were sent to Ukraine last year. "The remaining howitzers are now being decommissioned and used for spare parts. As a result, the material combat readiness of our artillery forces continues to decline," Wustner pointed out.
He noted that military assistance to Kiev had created "additional gaps" in Germany’s armed forces. "I doubt that we will be able to fulfill our obligations to NATO starting in 2025," Wustner noted, adding that Germany had sent about 60 aircraft, 20 ships, and 7,000 vehicles to Ukraine. He also said that the 100 bln euros that the country’s authorities had allocated for the modernization of the army weren’t enough. In conclusion, the Armed Forces Association’s head expressed the opinion that the conflict in Ukraine "will not end this year."
Der Spiegel reported earlier that the German authorities had approved 2.24 bln euros worth of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine between January 1 and December 22, 2022. Specifically, this includes Gepard self-propelled systems, 14 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, five multiple rocket launchers and one IRIS-T air defense system.
On January 25, Germany confirmed that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and give permission to other countries to re-export such tanks. On February 7, the German cabinet approved providing 178 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Kiev.