Poland announced the arrival of the first Leopard tanks and Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine

Thanks to the efforts of Warsaw, the first Leopard tanks and the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) arrived in Ukraine. About it informed Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak in an interview with El Razon newspaper.

“I must emphasize that thanks to the efforts of Poland, batteries arrived in Ukraine [противовоздушной обороны] Patriot or the first Leopard tanks,” he said.

Mariusz added that since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, Warsaw has transferred more than 2.2 billion euros worth of weapons to Kiev, not counting the cost of training the Ukrainian military and another batch of Leopard tanks, announced at the end of February. Commenting on the possibility of supplying fighter jets to Ukraine, he noted that this issue should be discussed “at a broader allied level.”

On February 24, Blaszczak announced that Warsaw had sent the first of the promised 14 tanks to Kyiv. According to him, they are already on the territory of Ukraine. February 28 Advisor to the Acting Head of the DPR Yan Gagin informedthat Leopard were seen in the Artemovsk area.

Germany and the United States announced the delivery of tanks to Ukraine at the end of January. Berlin promised to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks, and Washington – 31 M1 Abrams. Following them, Poland, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands announced the transfer of tanks to Kyiv.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized the supply of Western weapons to Kyiv. In the Kremlin declaredthat the Leopard and Abrams tanks will burn down just like the rest of Western military equipment. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev emphasizedthat tanks will not save Ukraine, and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin predicted them the fate of the fascist “Tigers”. According to him, the weapons will be destroyed.