Czech takes delivery of 1st Leopard 2 tanks from Germany

The Czech Republic has taken delivery of the first of more than a dozen Leopard 2 battle tanks made by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, reported dpa.

It is part of what the Germans call a "Ringtausch" - a circular swap system operated by the German government to provide weapons indirectly to Ukraine.

In this case, the Czech Republic is being given modern replacements for Soviet-designed T72 tanks Prague it gave to Ukraine to fight the Russians.

The handover took place on Wednesday at an army base in Přáslavice in the presence of Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová and German representatives.

More Leopard 2 tanks and an armoured recovery vehicle are to follow by the end of 2023 at the latest.

Included in the deal are ammunition, training, and spare parts.

"With the Leopard tanks, we are breaking the deadlock of dependence on Soviet technology," Černochová said.

Since the Ukrainian armed forces do not need additional training for Soviet systems, it has been a fast way to get more weapons to Ukraine.

The Czech Republic is among Kiev's key supporters. The NATO country has already delivered armaments worth the equivalent of more than €1.9 billion ($2 billion) to Ukraine this year.

When it comes to procuring up to 210 new infantry fighting vehicles, however, the Czech Republic is looking not to Germany, but to Sweden.

Černochová announced that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Scandinavian country and manufacturer BAE Systems for the purchase of CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles.