World

Shipment of Spanish Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine delayed until mid-April

A shipment of six Leopard 2A4 tanks from Spain to Ukraine has been delayed, according to an announcement from the Spanish Ministry of Defense.

Defence Minister Margarita Robles told TVE on Wednesday that the promised shipment would be leaving Spain in mid-April instead of April 9. The reason for the delay remains unclear, but the news comes just ahead of a major Ukrainian counteroffensive for which the tanks would have been a key part. 

Other countries have also pledged to send tanks to Ukraine, while others already have. Ukraine received its first tanks from Poland in February on the one-year mark of the Russian invasion. The United Kingdom delivered 18 Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukrainian military in late March, as well as two Challenger tanks, according to BBC. Germany reversed its decision not to send tanks to Ukraine in January and has sent 18 tanks since then.

A shipment of 31 M1 Abrams tanks is slated to arrive in Ukraine from the United States in the fall, according to a January announcement by US President Joe Biden. Battles have become increasingly intense as Russia has blasted multiple areas in Ukraine, including a shelling in Kherson on Thursday that left 7 people injured.

ARTICLE: LAURA SPIVAK

MANAGING EDITOR: LUKE MOCHERMAN

PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS

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Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

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