Portugal to send Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine
Portugal wants to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Saturday, without specifying exactly how many will be sent, Agerpres reported.
Costa further added that Portugal is in talks with Germany to obtain parts needed to repair a number of inoperable Leopard tanks in Portugal's weapons inventory.
"We are currently making efforts to be able to deploy some of our tanks. I know how many tanks are going to be sent to Ukraine, but this will be announced at the right time," Costa added.
Admiral Antonio Silva Ribeiro, head of the Portuguese armed forces, last month said Portugal had 37 Leopard 2 tanks, but local media reported that most are inoperable.
Lisbon's defence ministry said it did not comment on the "operability of weapons systems and equipment" for security reasons.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba earlier this week said his country would receive 120 to 140 Western tanks in a "first wave" of deliveries from a coalition of 12 countries.
