The first Leopard 2 main battle tanks repaired in Lithuania are being prepared for shipment to Ukraine.

The press service of the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense reported on Friday, December 15.

In Lithuania, Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks are being repaired in cooperation with the German defense industry.

On Friday, tanks that have already been repaired and will soon return to the battlefield in Ukraine were demonstrated.

“Lithuania consistently supports Ukraine’s struggle for independence and not only sends military assistance, but also helps to repair Leopard 2 tanks that are very much needed on the battlefield,” said Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas.

Tanks are being repaired at the Lithuania Defense Services enterprise. It was created by two of the largest European manufacturers of military equipment – the German Group Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

The company was founded in 2022 in Jonava, a town in central Lithuania.

The joint venture provides maintenance, repair and logistical support for combat vehicles of both the Lithuanian Armed Forces and armored vehicles of other NATO countries deployed in the Baltic States.

The damaged Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks, brought back from the battlefield, have been repaired at Lithuania Defense Services’ facilities since October. The maintenance and repair of German-made Ukrainian armored vehicles positively contributes to sustaining the skills of personnel and ensures constant verification of logistics chains.

Since September 2022, Lithuania has also organized the repair of PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers, which were transferred to Ukraine as part of military aid.

In November, Lithuania transferred 3 million 7.62×51 mm cartridges to the Ukrainian Defense Forces as part of a new defense assistance package.

And a week before that, Ukraine received NASAMS launchers and the necessary concomitant equipment purchased by the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense.