Defence Minister Pistorius visits tank School in Lower Saxony Boris Pistorius (R), Germany's Minister of Defence, is greeted by Bjoern Schulz (L), Brigadier General and Commander Tank Troop School. Credit: Christian Charisius/dpa
By Jon Egie with agency reports
The training of Ukrainian tank crews in Germany on how to operate advanced German-made tanks is on schedule, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said while visiting a military training ground in north-west Germany.
“The goal is for the tanks, both Leopards and Marders, to be delivered [to Ukraine] by the end of March and military training to be completed by then as well,” said Pistorius on Monday at the base in the German state of Lower Saxony.
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During the visit, Pistorius saw tank commanders and gunners training using live fire from the smaller Marder infantry fighting vehicles as well as training with simulators of the heavier Leopard 2 main battle tank.
Ukrainians are scheduled to receive five weeks of training on the Leopard 2A6, an advanced German-made tank that will be shipped to Ukraine.
“The difference is like between Mercedes and Lada,” said a Ukrainian soldier of how the German-made Leopard 2 lines up against the Soviet-era T-72 tanks largely deployed in Ukraine.
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“The goal is to make [the Ukrainian crews] fit for war so that they can assert themselves in battle,” said a German officer, who said that about 20% of Ukrainian crews have combat experience while others have only basic military knowledge.
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“The Ukrainians are all highly motivated and very inquisitive,” the German officer said.
Pistorius was joined on the visit by a leading politician from the opposition conservative Christian Democrats, as well as Ukrainian former world boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, whose brother is the current mayor of Kiev.
Credit: dpa
