Spain to send fresh batch of Leopard tanks, arms to Ukraine

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain will send a second batch of Leopard tanks to Ukraine along with other weapons, the country’s defense minister announced Monday.

During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group attended by representatives of the US Defense Department, Ukraine and other nations, Defense Minister Margarita Robles urged the international community to continue supporting Kyiv.

Given the “critical situation” that Ukraine is dealing with now, Robles said it was a “collective obligation to continue providing, with even greater urgency, the support that Ukraine needs and deserves,” according to a statement from Spain’s Defense Ministry.

Besides the Leopard tanks, Robles also announced a military package that includes 155-mm artillery ammunition, Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, anti-drone systems and optronic surveillance and tracking systems.

In a post on X, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it is “grateful to Spain" for the package.

On Monday, the Netherlands also announced that it would provide YPR-765 armored vehicles to Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

The announcements come as Ukraine is trying to cope with Russia’s offensive in the northeast of the country.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy postponed his international trips, including one to Spain, to closely monitor the battles in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.