- Title: Deal struck to send German-made Leopard 1 tanks from Belgium to Ukraine
- Date: 8th August 2023
- Summary: TOURNAI, BELGIUM (FILE - JANUARY 31, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF LEOPARD 1A5 TANKS PARKED IN WAREHOUSE (MUTE) LEOPARD 1A5 TANK TURRET / LEOPARD 1A5 TANKS LEOPARD 1A5 TANKS / SPIDER WEB
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2023 20:17
- Keywords: leopard tanks tanks ukraine war
- Location: TOURNAI, BELGIUM
- City: TOURNAI, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001320208082023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Dozens of second-hand Leopard 1 tanks that once belonged to Belgium have been bought by another European country for Ukrainian forces fighting Russia's invasion, the arms trader who did the deal said on Tuesday (August 8).
Freddy Versluys, CEO of defence company OIP Land Systems, bought the German-made tanks from the Belgian government more than five years ago.
He told Reuters he had now sold all 50 tanks to another European government, which he could not name due to a confidentiality clause. He said he also could not disclose the price.
Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Tuesday evening that arms maker Rheinmetall had acquired the tanks and would prepare most of them for export to Ukraine.
The company declined to comment.
The Leopard 1 was made by German firm Krauss-Maffei, starting in the 1960s. It is lighter than the Leopard 2 and has a different type of main gun. The models sold by Versluys were last upgraded in the 1990s.
(Production: Lynné Schoeman) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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