In March 2023, Forbes writer David Axe pointed to a clue about which Ukrainian unit would get the first Leopard 2s: an officer from the 4th Tank Brigade, Maj. Vadim Khodak, had been seen at the training ground in Poland where Ukrainian crews were learning the German tank. Khodak praised the Leopard's quality and said his soldiers liked it. The 4th Brigade had fought hard since 2022 and was short of tanks, so new vehicles could rebuild its strength.
What actually happened
In the end, Ukraine's first Leopard 2s went mainly to newly formed mechanized brigades for the summer 2023 counteroffensive. The 33rd Mechanized Brigade operated Leopard 2A4s, the 47th Mechanized Brigade fielded 2A6s alongside American Bradleys, and Sweden's Strv 122s went to the 21st Mechanized Brigade. Read the full story in Leopard tanks in Ukraine.