Battle tanks have arrived in Ukraine, Iryna Zolotar, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, told the press on Monday, March 27th.
Tanks from Germany—Marder infantry fighting vehicles—as well as Cougar armoured trucks and Stryker armoured personnel carriers from the United States have been delivered to Ukraine recently.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov also said on Monday that he inspected a “new addition” to the armoury, and called the British tanks works of “military art.”
Ukrainian forces have received training from the British military on how to use the tanks since it announced in January that it would be donating the armoured vehicles to the embattled country, despite warnings from Moscow that such a move would elicit a response from the Kremlin.
The supervisor of the training mission, Lieutenant Colonel John Stone, said the British instructors were “hugely impressed with the level of competence displayed” by the Ukrainian crews.
“It is truly inspiring to witness the determination of Ukrainian soldiers having completed their training on British Challenger 2 tanks on British soil,” Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also said.
“They return to their homeland better equipped but to no less danger. We will continue to stand by them and do all we can to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he added.
The British Defence Ministry also estimated that the tanks marked a “step change” in capability for Ukraine’s armed forces.
The tanks will be key to the spring war season. Slovakia and Poland also delivered donations of fighter jets to Ukraine earlier this month.
“Just a year ago, no one could have imagined the magnitude of support that would be provided by our partners,” Reznikov said, as quoted in a statement from the Defence Ministry.
Reznikov predicted that with the addition of the tanks to the Ukrainian arsenal, the country would restore its 1991 borders.”Ukraine has managed to change the world. The incredible resilience of our people and the exceptional skill of our army have demonstrated to the world that Ukraine will emerge victorious,” he said.
