Leopard Tanks in Ukraine

The decision

Through 2022 Ukraine asked for Western tanks. Germany hesitated, partly over escalation fears and partly because re-export of German-built Leopards by other countries needed Berlin's approval. On 25 January 2023 Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would send Leopard 2A6s and approve deliveries by other users, on the same day the United States committed M1 Abrams. Poland delivered the first Leopard 2A4s on 24 February 2023, the first anniversary of the invasion.

Who sent what (initial 2023 pledges)

These are the initial announced pledges. Some countries sent more later, and not every follow-up delivery has been made public. By mid-2023 Ukraine had about 70 Leopard 2s in service.

Separately, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands funded refurbished Leopard 1A5s: 103 delivered by April 2025, with 22 more earmarked. Germany also sent 60 Gepard anti-aircraft guns (as of April 2025) built on the Leopard 1 chassis, which became one of the most valued Western systems of the war.

The 2023 counteroffensive

The Leopards' first major action came in June 2023 in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Ukrainian brigades advancing near Mala Tokmachka ran into deep Russian minefields covered by artillery, attack helicopters and drones. Images of knocked-out Leopard 2A6s and Bradley fighting vehicles spread worldwide. Russian claims of dozens of Leopards destroyed were exaggerated, but the losses were real, and the attack stalled.

Two lessons emerged quickly. First, the Leopard 2 protected its crews well: in many cases the tank was disabled but the crew escaped. Second, no tank can break through a dense, well-watched minefield without engineers, air defense and surprise.

Adapting: cages, armor and drones

As cheap first-person-view (FPV) drones became the biggest killer of armored vehicles on both sides, Ukrainian crews added explosive reactive armor blocks, metal screens and anti-drone cages to their Leopards. Tanks increasingly fight from concealed positions, move in small numbers and act as mobile artillery rather than charging in massed formations. Open-source trackers such as Oryx have photo-documented dozens of Leopard losses (destroyed, damaged, abandoned or captured), and Russia put a captured Leopard 2A6 on display in Moscow in 2024.

Repair and logistics

Keeping a mix of 2A4, Strv 122, 2A6 and Leopard 1A5 tanks running has been a challenge, since each version needs different parts. Damaged Leopards are repaired at hubs in Poland and elsewhere. Ammunition and spare parts, more than the tanks themselves, have often limited how many Leopards Ukraine can field at once.

What the war has taught

• Crew survivability matters: Western designs that separate ammunition from the crew have saved many lives.
• Active protection and anti-drone defenses are now essential, which is why the Leopard 2A8 has Trophy as standard.
• Small numbers of tanks, delivered piecemeal in several versions, cannot change a war on their own.
• Tanks remain useful, but as part of combined teams with engineers, infantry, air defense and drones.

Frequently asked questions