12.06.2023 – Translated from Ukrainian via Google and OFP
Against the background of the intensification of hostilities, calls were again made from Kiev for increased military support for Ukraine, especially from Berlin. Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk said that the Defense Forces need Leopard 2 tanks and Germany could make additional deliveries.
From his point of view, the Bundeswehr is able to provide more than the 18 Leopard 2s already sent, since Germany has a stockpile of 300 of these tanks. The number of Leopard 2s for Ukraine could be tripled (to 54) “without compromising Germany’s ability to defend itself,” the diplomat said in an interview with Tagesspiegel. He is quoted by the German portal n-tv.
“The Ukrainian army is in dire need of much more Western battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and other armored vehicles,” Melnyk said.
“Each Leopard 2 is literally worth its weight in gold for a decisive offensive,” he added.
The former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany also asked to hand over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces 60 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and TAURUS cruise missiles. The Ukrainian state, the diplomat said, is waiting for “Germany’s strategic decision to actively participate in the ‘fighter coalition’ so that Ukrainian pilots can immediately begin training on Eurofighter aircraft.”
German politicians Roderich Kiesewetter of the Christian Democratic Union and Markus Faber of the Free Democratic Party supported Melnyk’s demand to continue delivering armored vehicles to Ukraine.
“Supporters will be required to immediately replace all destroyed equipment, including Leopard battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, and bring in additional supplies,” Kiesewetter said.
Faber, in a Tagesspiegel commentary, also agreed that Germany could increase the number of Leopard 2s sent to Ukraine “to help.”
As OBOZREVATEL wrote:
– The head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, allowed the possibility of providing her airfields for training pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on F-16 fighters. Although Berlin does not have these American aircraft, it can offer a hub for basic pilot training.
– On June 7, Germany announced that it had transferred a new batch of military aid to Ukraine. Our military received tracked all-terrain vehicles, tank tractors, drones, air defense ammunition, vehicles, enemy UAV detection systems, and more.
We have only verified information in the Obozrevatel Telegram channel and in Viber . Don’t fall for fakes!
Europe could send a lot more Leopards to Ukraine. Its own current defense needs are being fully met by Ukraine’s fight against the only aggressor on the continent.
Germans and the rest of the EU for that matter, don’t need any weapons. Ukraine are fighting the only enemy in Europe.
They should just empty their arsenals and hand everything to Ukraine. They are too lily-livered to fight anyhow, even if they had to.
Please be aware that Germans read this site, too, and try harder to appeal to our generosity, preferably without insults. I’m doing my best to convince my countrymen to send more support, but arrogant remarks like Melnyk’s only make that more difficult. As for more Leopards, the problem right now is that the Ukrainian forces seem to have ignored everything they have learned about proper tactics. They wasted like half of the contingent in record time and now they ask for more? Are you aware of the bad impression that made? It would be really helpful if there’s a more successful example of the use of those tanks first.
In other words: You want RuSSia to win, a by 40 mio muslims infested undemocratic shithole. Good luck with that!
As I see it, Mike, the “christian” followers of Moscows pro-putin patriarch Kirill are the much bigger problem now. Also, there’s muslims, Crimean tatars, fighting on the Ukrainian side. Anyway, to fight the Russians, it’s not exactly a great tactic to drive the best tanks that you have straight into a minefield. I don’t understand what the guy who was in command was thinking. And as I predicted, this embarassing failure made the German government less eager to deliver more tanks. Please take note of minister Pistorius’ recent statement. Sure, mistakes happen, such is war, but there better should be footage of a successful tank action to make people forget about that bad start.
I am not aware that UA forces have lost half of their Leos, do you have more info on that?
russia have posted as many different angles on these few tanks and Bradleys Ukraine lost, then added the totals up. In all Ukraine have lost 50 tanks, 200 Bradleys and 5000 troops in one day. Not to mention one Starship Enterprise.
Ok, that may have been an exaggeration, RedSquareMaidan, but I’m talking about the type 2A6 which had been delivered by Germany and there had been different reports about losses. Fact is, Ukraine got 18 of them and at least 3 of those, possibly more, got hit in a rather stupid attack on a single day. Those tanks need to be employed in a mobile manner in order to be efficient, but in total disregard of the factics that that had been trained, they had been exposed as sitting ducks. That’s quite inexcusable and if ukrainian officers stupidly ignore recommended Nato tactics, they should use T-64 for their soviet style attacks. Please compare this with the laudable careful use of German Panzerhaubitzen, whose crews show they mastered what they had learned!
It has been damn hard to convince the German government to deliver main battle tanks and if there’s more videos showing inappropriate deployment, there won’t be more of them, I’m afraid. There had been concerns if main battle tanks make sense on the ukrainian battlefields right from the start, and the screwed up debut is water on the mills of such critics. I’m an active supporter of the Ukraine and I had been advocating for a whole year to deliver our Leos, but guys like me won’t be able to prevent a turning of the public mood if this valuable equippement gets wasted in rather stupid attacks.
“Fact is, Ukraine got 18 of them and at least 3 of those, possibly more, got hit in a rather stupid attack on a single day.”
To get a better understanding of what happened, Mr. Gray Goods, read this article:
https://ukrainetoday.org/2023/06/13/armor-expert-breaks-down-ukraines-loss-of-bradleys-during-breaching-operation/
At any rate, the Germans, and the West in general, should not go into panic mode when a few Western tanks get destroyed. Any general or military expert knows that breaching elaborately constructed defenses is VERY tough. This is always when most losses occur. Take into account that the AFU must cross flat, open terrain. Add to this the very few tanks and AFVs they’ve received thus far and how late they got them. Furthermore, the Ukrainians must accomplish this with no air superiority at all. Not even close to it. No NATO army would ever even attempt doing what the Ukrainians must do without proper air cover. None whatsoever, not even the United States. But, the WH not so long ago said that Ukraine doesn’t need F-16s! What a joke. Another joke is the constant refusal to give Ukraine what it needs. The consent comes after months of begging. Then, the weapons come late and only few in numbers. When the Ukrainians do get them, their soldiers must be properly trained to use them and to repair them.
Ukraine was under duress to attack as soon as possible, yet the tanks, for instance, were handed over at the last possible moment. Training had to be done quickly. Yet, as the report I gave you above says, the Ukrainian unit performed as per doctrine. They did not act stupid. They have only a limited amount of heavy weapons, no air cover, little artillery, limited ammunition and must fight an enemy that still outnumbers them in men and materiel and is well-entrenched.
Another factor is the West’s prohibition for the Ukrainians to attack mafia land directly. This forces them to attack the well-prepared defenses of the orcs, instead of the possibility of circumventing them through russian territory.
Altogether, the Ukrainians had done a wonderful job at not only holding up the roach army, but has driven them back in several regions. The West could’ve done Nägel mit Köpfe, and sent Ukraine what it asked for sooner and in sufficient numbers.
Maybe you agree now what a tough job that the AFU has, and share this info with your German counterparts.
Thank you.
I’m sure that Melnyk didn’t mean his request as an insult. He’s just not very diplomatic. Sometimes I wish the UA government would put him elsewhere. Nor do I want to insult anyone with my comments. I’m only expressing my opinion, which I see as the truth.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me a link or two about this:
“As for more Leopards, the problem right now is that the Ukrainian forces seem to have ignored everything they have learned about proper tactics. They wasted like half of the contingent in record time…” For the life of me, I can’t find anything that substantiates your claims.
At this point, I wish to thank you for your support for Ukraine.
“I’m sure that Melnyk didn’t mean his request as an insult. He’s just not very diplomatic.”
Ain’t that true? I have no idea how this loose gun got into this profession in the first place, it doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe he lost his nerves because of the war, but his aggressive manners have been very counterproductive. Even among us supporters of Ukraine, most people can’t stand him any more. His successor Makeiev, a real diplomat, engaging in quiet but convincing work behind the scenes, has been much more sjccessful than Melnyk, in a rather short time.
This is important because Germany had become very anti-war after WWII and there’s a widespread pacifistic mood, especially among left wingers here. That makes it difficult to convince people of the urgent need to deliver weapons to a country under attack (thus the embarassing offer of 5000 helmets shortly before the war, it was shameful, I know). Gladly, the leadership of our green party, ministers Baerbock and Habeck, have changed their stance since and support the resistance against Putler now. But there’s still many critics, stingy taxpayers, putin-adoring right wingers, and anti-Nato-socialists. Thus, we really don’t need Melnyk to bring up even more people against weapon deliveries.
Ok, enough of this rant, I know that people in Ukraine have it much harder, and I want to focus on drumming up support for their brave fight against evil again. Slava Ukraini!
Thank you very much!
Thank you once again for your help and your dedication for Ukraine!
Slava Ukraini!
Add tons of Javelins and bulldozers to that list. Meanwhile Nato is training for a war it will dare to fight. Waste of money, time and resources.
‘Never dare to fight’.
What NATO is doing is smoke and mirrors. It knows that its only enemy is being eliminated by Ukraine!