In the spring of 2023, Ukraine received Western-produced tanks, thus raising significant issues about maintaining this equipment in combat-ready condition. Specifically, Germany failed to reach an agreement with Poland on establishing a repair centre on Polish territory. Militanсy expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov told Mind about the situation regarding the repair of tanks damaged at the frontline.
Naturally, the tank repair facilities in Ukraine cannot be fully operational due to regular missile strikes by the russian army. Even the T-64 tanks, exclusively used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, will need to be repaired in the Czech Republic at the VOP CZ facility, since all capacities in Kharkiv were destroyed by russian occupiers.
As for the Western equipment, it is evident that our repair facilities lack the necessary tools and components, as Western and Soviet standards differ significantly.
Since the main Western tank in the Ukrainian Armed Forces today is the Leopard 2 and its modifications, a decision was made during the preparation of the supplies that the damaged tanks would be repaired in Poland. In April 2023, from the statement of Boris Pistorius, the German Minister of Defence, everything seemed clear: two German companies that manufacture tanks, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, would cooperate with the Polish state-owned company Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and establish a joint service centre in Gliwice.
However, as of mid-July 2023, the Ukrainian tanks damaged in battles are already in Poland, but their repairs have not yet begun, as the German and Polish partners still haven't reached an agreement.
And the reason is simple – competition between German and Polish arms manufacturers. From Warsaw's perspective, there is a danger that the development of international defence industry projects in Poland will be significantly restricted due to Polish-German projects related to the war in Ukraine.
On the other hand, Berlin is dissatisfied that Poland gave preference to the modernisation of its army not by further ordering Leopard 2 tanks but by acquiring 366 American Abrams tanks and 1000 South Korean K2 tanks, most of which will be produced both in South Korea and Poland.
There are also financial and political aspects to this issue. Germans consider the Polish price demands to be overpriced and point out the fact that PGZ wants to receive 100,000 euros just for the initial inspection of a damaged tank, while in Germany, this function costs only 12,000 euros. Poles argue that the prices are entirely justified and based on their own experience in operating their fleet of Leopards.
Regarding politics, the German government, formed by social democrats, 'greens,' and liberals, has serious contradictions in their views on many issues, including military support for Ukraine, compared to the national-conservative government in Warsaw. Poland constantly accuses Germany of acting too slowly and doing too little.
Moreover, Poland is now in the midst of the Sejm (parliamentary) election campaign that is going to take place in the autumn. Therefore, according to observers' assessments, the government in Warsaw is engaging in tough negotiations with Berlin to gain political benefits in the eyes of Polish voters.
As for Leopard tanks, it is the most widely used heavy combat vehicle in Europe. The Leopard 1 model is in service in 14 countries, 7 of which are European ones. The first generation, whose history dates back to 1956, has been decommissioned or is currently being phased out of service. In total, at least 4,744 of these tanks have been produced, not counting other equipment based on this platform.
The Leopard 2, which succeeded the Leopard 1 and has been under development since the late 1970s, has been produced in a quantity of 3,600 units (according to 2013 data, the current number is likely higher). This model is the main battle tank of European armies, with 18 tank operators, of which 12 are in Europe. Additionally, six other countries in the world are planning to incorporate it into their arsenals.
Today, Ukraine has received or plans to receive the following modifications of the Leopard 2 tank:
It is planned that Ukraine will receive 84 tanks from various European countries, including Germany, Poland, Finland, and others.
As for the losses, there are no official figures from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, according to the Polish press, for example, out of 14 tanks delivered from Poland, eight were damaged.
The Oryx portal, which tracks the number of equipment losses during combat operations, reports that as of July 16, 2023, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost three Leopard 2A4 tanks and five Leopard 2A6 tanks. Among these, only three tanks were completely destroyed, while the rest suffered varying degrees of damage.