Spain to Ship Six Tanks to Ukraine After Easter

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain will ship six German-made 2A4 Leopard tanks to Ukraine after the April 9 Easter vacation to help Kyiv’s efforts to fend off Russia’s invasion, Defence Minister Margarita Robles instructed lawmakers on Wednesday.

Robles mentioned the nation had simply repaired the preventing automobiles that haven’t been used because the Nineteen Nineties, and was testing their fight readiness earlier than transport them.

“By sending the Leopards, we’ll proceed to assist the Ukrainian folks… to defend themselves towards a completely unjust assault,” she mentioned, including that Spain would now restore one other 4 tanks which will likely be despatched “within the close to future”.

The Spanish army has educated Ukrainian tank crews for a number of weeks within the northeastern metropolis of Zaragoza.

Earlier this week, 18 Leopard 2 tanks pledged by Germany and three pledged by Portugal arrived in Ukraine, which says the preventing automobiles are essential to defeat the Russian invasion. Moscow calls the deliveries of Western weapons a harmful provocation.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo, enhancing by Andrei Khalip and Toby Chopra)

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