Leopard tanks spotted in Spain fuel speculation on Ukraine aid
The Ukrainian service Militarny reports that a batch of Leopard 2A4 tanks ready for loading onto a ship was spotted at the port in Bilbao, Spain. According to blogger and tank researcher Andriy Tarasenko, the tanks may be prepared for transport to Ukraine. The Leopard 2A4 is a model widely used and highly regarded by Ukrainian soldiers.
The Bizkaia Civil Guard published a photo on the social media platform X showing a batch of Leopard 2A4 tanks in the port of Bilbao. According to blogger and tank researcher Andriy Tarasenko, at least a few tanks may be headed to Ukraine. However, as Militarny noted, there are currently no official statements from the Spanish government or the Ministry of Defense regarding this matter.
Mysterious batch of Leopards
Although Spain is one of the countries that has previously provided Kyiv with these types of tanks, other scenarios regarding the vehicles' purpose cannot be ruled out. The Defence Express service even noted that Madrid ranks among the top regarding the number of Leopard 2A4s provided. Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland have also supplied tanks.
The Leopard 2A4 is a third-generation main battle tank from Germany, developed as a successor to the Leopard 1. Its production lasted from 1985 to 1992, during which about 700 units were built. The tank is nearly 33 feet long and weighs 121,000 pounds. For comparison, T-72M tanks—also used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces—weigh 90,000 pounds, and Abrams M1A1 tanks weigh 146,000 pounds.
The tank is powered by a 12-cylinder MTU MB 873 Ka-501 diesel engine with 1,500 horsepower, allowing it to reach a top speed of up to 45 mph on road and 35 mph off-road. Its operational range is about 340 miles on the road. The Leopard 2A4 is armed with a Rheinmetall L/44 smoothbore gun of 120 mm caliber, a coaxial MG3A1 machine gun of 7.62 mm caliber, and an additional MG3A1 machine gun of 7.62 mm caliber.
4x4 76 mm smoke grenade launchers also provide protection, and the advanced EMES 15 fire control system offers significant support during firing with thermal imaging. This weaponry and equipment provide the Leopard 2A4 with better offensive capabilities than older versions. Ukrainian tank crews have repeatedly emphasized this.
