Germany's defense ministry confirmed in late March 2023 that its first shipment of Leopard 2 tanks, 18 of the 2A6 version, had arrived in Ukraine after Ukrainian crews finished training in Germany. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he was confident the tanks could make a decisive contribution at the front, the BBC reported.
At around the same time, Ukrainian officials indicated that British Challenger 2 tanks had also arrived. Together with three Leopard 2A6s from Portugal, the German tanks formed a full company. Kyiv had spent months asking allies for modern Western tanks before Germany agreed in January 2023.