Leopard tank arrives in Slovakia (source: SITA)
The first Leopard tank was supplied from Germany to Slovakia as compensation for the military aid that Slovakia has provided to Ukraine.
The Leopard 2A4 tank is part of the exchange which involves Slovakia giving 30 BVP-1 armed vehicles to Ukraine. In turn, Slovakia will receive 15 Leopard tanks from Germany, to be placed mostly in the east of the country.
"Thanks to this exchange, we have helped not only the Ukrainian armed forces in their righteous fight for freedom and democracy in their country, but also to the Slovak armed forces by strengthening the Slovak tank battalion," Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said following his meeting with his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht, who visited Slovakia for the occassion.
Slovakia will thus have 45 Leopard tanks, which, according to Naď, will constitute a standard tank battalion of NATO countries.
Lambrecht thanked Slovakia for stepping up in the efforts to repair the provided armed systems by opening the repair centre in Michalovce.
She confirmed that Germany is also to supply Slovakia with a new air defence system to be placed in eastern Slovakia.
"We want to continue this way. We are good and trustworthy partners," she added. During her trip in Slovakia, she also visited the German soldiers deployed to Slovakia as part of the multinational NATO project.
