Germany delivers ammunition for Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine
17 January, 2024 A Ukrainian soldier with shell casings for a Leopard 1 tank during exercises in Germany. August 2023. Photo credits: Alamy Stock Photo
Germany has handed over ammunition for Leopard 1 tanks and armored vehicles to the Ukrainian military. The list of transferred equipment has been updated on the federal government's website. The updated list includes an unnamed amount of ammunition for the Leopard 1 main battle tank.
The package includes eight armored personnel carriers (a total of 24 units have already been delivered) and materials for the disposal of explosive ordnance. In addition, 25 RQ-35 HEIDRUN reconnaissance drones (100 were previously delivered), 50 SatCom communication terminals (230 were previously delivered), 500 LED lamps, and almost 2,000 combat helmets were transferred.
Ukrainian military with the RQ-35 Heidrun drone from Sky Watch. Photo credits: ArmyInform
The primary purpose of the Heidrun RQ-35 is to conduct monitoring and surveillance at low altitudes. This UAV, which has been tested on the Russian-Ukrainian front, is characterized by high resistance to enemy electronic warfare (EW), mobility and rapid preparation for launch, and low visibility during missions.
In flight, the RQ-35 Heidrun is capable of transmitting reconnaissance data from a distance of 25-30 kilometers in real time without endangering the operator, and without using a satellite navigation system. In addition, five vehicles were transferred to the Border Guard Service (Ukraine received a total of 248 vehicles), several vehicles (trucks, vans, SUVs) (361 vehicles have already been donated from the Bundeswehr and industrial stocks), and 16 Zetros trucks (previously eight).
Zetros 1833 German military truck.
Photo from open sources
In 2023, Germany provided Ukraine with military aid totaling about 5.4 billion euros.
In 2024, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, it is planned to transfer aid worth "more than 7 billion euros."
Recently, the Ukrainian government signed a contract with the German company Rheinmetall to prepare a new batch of Leopard 1 tanks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.