“Training with passion”
Pistorius visits Ukrainians at leopard training
5/5/2023 7:06 p.m
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are learning how to use Leopard main battle tanks in Saxony-Anhalt. The 1 A5 is old but can be repaired in the field. Defense Minister Pistorius gets enthusiastic during the training visit.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, together with his Danish counterpart Troels Lund Poulsen, visited the training of Ukrainian soldiers and promised permanent support for the country attacked by Russia. “I stand by it and keep saying it with the utmost conviction: We will support Ukraine with everything that is possible – as long as it takes,” said the SPD politician during the visit to northern Saxony-Anhalt. Danes and Germans are training Ukrainian soldiers there on Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks.
Considerable fighting power: Pistorius looks at the training.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)
During training in the presence of media representatives, the soldiers wore tube scarves so as not to be recognizable. For example, they practiced removing the chains and sprockets from the tank and cleaned the tank tubes and optics. They should be able to quickly help themselves if there are problems with the main battle tanks in the field. A Ukrainian soldier, who says he has been deployed since February 24 last year, said: “It’s very unusual for us, this calm here, this silence. We were a bit nervous at first, but thanks to the good and nice Dealing with us, everything works well here and we feel comfortable,” he said, according to the translation.
He does not yet know which sector of the front he will go to after several weeks of training in Germany. “We are ready to work anywhere to defend our country.” He defended Kiev and fought in Bakhmut. He believes that the main battle tanks made a difference on the front lines. This is where he made his first experiences with western tanks. As an advantage of the Leopard 1 A5, the soldier emphasized the high mobility and accuracy of the weapon.
Training on the marten is to follow
In addition, the battle tanks had night vision devices, emphasized the commander of the German units in the multinational corps, Lieutenant General Andreas Marlow. These thermal imaging cameras are something “where the Russians are weak”. The Leopard tanks are old, but “absolutely adequate” given the conditions in Ukraine. An agricultural machine fitter could do something with them, but engineers are needed for more modern tanks.
Pistorius said that the training of the Ukrainians is done with passion and lifeblood – “for something that has so far been very alien to our reality of life, namely a direct commitment, with what they learn here, on the battlefield”. Together with Denmark and the Netherlands, Germany is financing the repair of around 100 Leopard 1 A5s from industry stocks, the minister calculated. According to army experts, this means considerable fighting power.
The Netherlands would also participate in further training courses, said the minister. Training on the Marder armored personnel carrier will then follow in the north of Saxony-Anhalt. Training is also planned, for example for house warfare and pioneer training. The Northern Training Hub is the central hub of the Brussels-led European Mission for the Training of Ukrainian Soldiers (EUMAM UA) in Germany. A large part of the training is concentrated here. According to the information, more than 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained so far. By the end of the year, the number of trainees is expected to increase to 9,000.