On the subject, Ukraine is keeping up the pressure. For several months, Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking his Western allies to send heavy tanks. kyiv’s foot calls seem to have paid off, at least in part. The United Kingdom notably promised the delivery of 14 Challenger 2, becoming the first Western country to send this type of armored vehicle.
On Thursday, visiting the Ukrainian capital, the President of the European Council Charles Michel announced that “tanks must be delivered. »
The day after this announcement, during a meeting of Ukraine’s supporters at the American air base in Ramstein (Germany), the Ukrainian president once again urged the allies to “launch a major supply that will stop the evil”.
“I can thank you hundreds of times (for the support already provided, editor’s note) but the hundreds of thanks are not hundreds of tanks”, insisted the head of state, while France and the United States are reluctant to the idea of sending imposing tanks to kyiv, which claims several hundred.
For 20 minutesMichel Goya, former colonel of the naval troops, historian and strategist, the sending of western tanks by the allies, if they decide, will not be able to have a significant impact on the front for several long weeks.
Can Germany’s decision to deliver heavy tanks (or not) change the outcome of this war?
Germany received the meeting of the allies, and its position was scrutinized. Like Paris and Washington, Chancellor Olaf Scholz showed hesitation at the idea of sending his heavy weapons to kyiv. However, according to our expert, Germany is one of the two Western nations with the United States with the largest stock of heavy armor.
“There are around 1,500 Leopard 2s available in several European countries. It is much more than the Leclercs and the British tanks. A tank of this type does not necessarily go everywhere, but it is powerful, resistant. In open country, it remains the king of the battlefield. From a tactical point of view, they are very superior to what is in front, ”describes the analyst.
“Normally, Western tanks (Germany, United States, France, United Kingdom) are superior to Russian tanks,” General Jean-Paul Paloméros told the newspaper. The Parisian.
Finally, the Ukrainian army will have to train in the handling of these devices. “With fairly experienced tankers, learning can go quickly, reassures Michel Goya, but it still takes a few weeks minimum”. And perhaps, as for the Patriot missiles, formations of Ukrainian soldiers abroad. of his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu in kyiv, December 28, 2022. With these new machines, Ukraine will be confronted with new tests logistics. Will she be able to overcome them?
Another problem: any shipment of German war material must be validated by Berlin. Poland, which estimates that it can deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks to its Ukrainian neighbor, cannot therefore move.
Friday, at midday, Berlin’s position has not changed. “No decision has been taken” on the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks, said German Minister Boris Pistorius, while recalling that the idea that Germany opposes the delivery of tanks to kyiv “is false” .
What conditions and delivery times for heavy tanks in Ukraine?
To transport these powerful machines to the front, the allies and Ukraine will have to implement “extremely important logistical means”, as recalled on France Info Peer de Jong, geopolitical specialist and former colonel of the marine troops.
The tanks weigh 60 tons and moving around takes some time. “Over long distances, they can be moved by rail or on tank carriers so as not to damage them or cause the ground to collapse. They will also have to be able to cross over bridges that can withstand heavy loads,” warns the ex-colonel.
According to him, it takes at least a few weeks for delivery. “If the Poles send their tank, or the French decide to take the Leclercs stationed in Romania, it can get back to Ukraine fairly quickly. But it is difficult to imagine that the tanks could have an impact on the fighting for several months”, continues the expert.
Is the Ukrainian army qualified to master this type of equipment and manage its maintenance?
Maintenance and training, two crucial points that dissuade the United States from providing Abrams tanks to kyiv. “The problem already arises with the artillery. The military equipment used is heterogeneous. It requires a fairly heavy maintenance structure specific to each machine,” observes Michel Goya.
” We have three levels of maintenance. Basic repairs on the battlefield, those that can be provided by Ukrainian companies, of medium complexity, and those that require the transfer of equipment abroad”, detailed Oleksii Reznikov, Ukrainian Minister of Defense, during the arrival of his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu in kyiv on December 28, 2022. With these new machines, Ukraine will be faced with new logistical challenges. Will she be able to overcome them?
Finally, the Ukrainian army will have to train in the handling of these devices. “With fairly experienced tankers, learning can go quickly, reassures Michel Goya, but it still takes a few weeks minimum”. And perhaps, as with the Patriot anti-aircraft system, formations of Ukrainian soldiers abroad.