Spanish Defense Ministry explains why it won't transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine

The Spanish government has abandoned plans to transfer a batch of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, since, as it turned out, they have been in a “deplorable state,” Defense Minister Margarita Robles said.

Earlier, Spanish media reported that the country's Ministry of Defense was preparing to supply ten Leopard 2A4 tanks and twenty M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. It was noted that the equipment, the possibility of transfer of which Madrid is considering, is currently not used and mothballed in warehouses.

"We are still exploring all the possibilities, but I can already tell you that the Leopard tanks, which have been stored in Zaragoza for many years, cannot be transferred because they are in an absolutely deplorable state," Servimedia quoted the minister as saying.

She added that the reopening of such equipment is fraught with risk for people using it.

Robles said she will visit the Ukrainian embassy on Wednesday to find out how Madrid can continue to support Kyiv, especially ahead of what promises to be a "very difficult" winter.