Explained | Ukraine’s recent round of weapons acquisition Premium
The Hindu
Here are the recent weapons acquired by Ukraine from various allies
The story so far: Germany on Saturday announced fresh military aid valued at around $3 billion as the country continues to fight against a Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
The move was announced by Germany right before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was scheduled to visit Berlin for the first time since the Russian invasion. President Zelenskyy arrived in Germany on Sunday after meeting Italian leaders and Pope Francis in Rome.
The Hindu looks at recent military aid acquired by Ukraine.
According to German news organisation Der Spiegel, the new military aid package for Ukraine includes 30 Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 20 Marder armoured personnel carriers, more than 100 combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled Howitzers, 200 reconnaissance drones, four IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft systems and other air defence equipment.
The Leopard tanks are manufactured by German defence equipment and technology company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The Leopard 1 tank was first manufactured in 1965 and its upgrades are still in use in nine countries. According to Army Recognition, the Leopard 1 A5 is an improved version of the Leopard 1A1A1 main battle tank (MBT) which was the first upgrade of the Leopard tank.
The Leopard 1 A5 tank was based on a research project undertaken in 1980. It has night vision, computerised fire control, and an automatic fire detection and extinguishing system.
Earlier this year, Germany had announced that it will provide Leopard 2 tanks – one of the most advanced MBTs in the world – to Ukraine.
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