On Tuesday, the first Leopard 2 battle tanks were transported to Germany in eastern Switzerland. The total of 25 tanks from Switzerland may not be forwarded to Ukraine. The Federal Office for Armaments (Armasuisse) handed over the first 9 of the 25 main battle tanks on Tuesday morning. They were transported to Germany by train, the Federal Ministry of Civil Protection, Defense and Sport (DDBS) wrote in a statement.
The next train with another 9 tanks will roll towards Germany on Wednesday. According to the announcement, the remaining 7 tanks will be exported via road transport. They go back to the German manufacturer Rheinmetall, no shipping to Ukraine
The 25 Leopard tanks are among 96 tanks decommissioned by the Swiss Army without retaining their value. Last February, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius requested the resale of some of these decommissioned tanks.
Under this condition, Parliament agreed that the battle tanks would not be transferred to Ukraine. The Federal Council granted the export license in November 2023. Germany guaranteed that the tanks would remain in Germany, with the NATO defense alliance or with EU partners. They should close the gaps there. (sda)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
