Norway on Monday announced that it had delivered eight Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, a contribution that, along with those of other countries, will be “decisive” for an upcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive.
“The eight Leo (Leopard) 2s are all in Ukraine,” Stine Barclay Gaasland, spokeswoman for the Norwegian Armed Forces, told AFP in an email.
The Scandinavian country announced in February that it would give eight of its aging Leopard 2A4s to Ukraine.
Norway intends to replace the tanks with the more modern Leopard 2A7s, and has recently ordered 54.
“For Ukraine, the donation of tanks will be decisive to their ability to conduct offensive operations and retake the lands occupied by Russia,” lieutenant colonel Lars Jensen, head of Norway’s Armoured Battalion, said in a statement.
In addition to the tanks, Norway has pledged to provide Kyiv with up to four support vehicles, ammunition, and spare parts.
Ukrainian crews are currently being trained to operate the Leopard tanks in Poland under the auspices of the European Union, the Norwegian Armed Forces said.
Several other countries, including Poland, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Finland, and Canada have also delivered or promised Leopard tanks to Ukraine.