Leopard 1 Reinforces 142nd Mechanized Brigade

The Ukrainian 142nd Mechanized Brigade has been strengthened with German-made Leopard 1 tanks.

Brigade representatives noted that age is no barrier — some of the newly arrived tanks are operated by young, skilled crews.

To enhance battlefield survivability, the tanks have been fitted with reactive armor covering the entire frontal profile, including the lower glacis plate.

Reactive armor blocks have also been mounted along the sides of the tank and on the turret.

Ukraine has already received over a hundred Leopard 1 tanks from Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

It was only in 2023 that the German government approved a decision allowing companies in the German defense industry to transfer Leopard 1 tanks from their reserves.

The Leopard 1 tanks currently being supplied to Ukraine were retired from service by European countries back in the 1980s and had been stored for decades at military depots.

As a result, the tanks were in poor condition and are undergoing major overhauls before returning to service.

Denmark was set to deliver 80 Leopard 1 tanks to the Ukrainian military — specifically, the Leopard 1A5DK variant, following their refurbishment.

This equipment was purchased by the private German company FFG after it was officially retired from the Danish army in 2005.

The Danish and German governments allocated €3 million for the repair and modernization of these tanks. In early February, the German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann started preparing the Leopard 1A5 tanks for delivery to Ukraine.

Previously, the Swiss Federal Government authorized the company RUAG to sell 71 Leopard 1 tanks to Germany, on the condition that they would not be transferred to Ukraine.