Maintenance hub for Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks in Poland will open in May - Blaszczak

A hub to service Leopard 2 tanks that Ukraine is receiving from its allies will start operating at the Bumar-Labedy defense enterprise in Gliwice, Poland, already in May.

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak said this at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Blaszczak said that last Friday, he and his Ukrainian and German colleagues signed an agreement in Ramstein, Germany, on the creation of a maintenance and repair center for the Ukrainian Leopard 2 main battle tanks in Poland.

"On the basis of this agreement, the maintenance center will start its work in May," he said.

He added that Ukraine already has or will soon receive two battalions of Leopard 2 tanks in the A4 and A6 variants.

"All these tanks will be serviced at Bumar-Labedy in Gliwice," Blaszczak said.

He said it had been decided to set up a hub to repair Ukrainian tanks in this particular place because this enterprise has 20 years of experience in the maintenance and repair of Polish Leopard 2 A4 tanks. In addition, the center will be located in Poland that is a natural hub for this type of activity.

Blaszczak drew attention to certain challenges related to the repair of Leopard 2 tanks due to limited access to spare parts. In this context, he noted that one of the signatories of the agreement on the creation of the hub is a German minister, since Germany is a manufacturer of Leopard tanks.

"I really wanted the Germans to also feel their responsibility and for this process to take place quickly and effectively," he said.

Blaschak noted that T-72 tanks are also maintained and repaired at Bumar-Labedy. He said he had received information from the Ukrainian side that these refurbished T-72 tanks are showing themselves very well at the front, defending Ukraine.

On April 21, a meeting of the defense ministers of the countries that are part of the so-called tank coalition took place as part of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein. After the meeting, the defense ministers of Ukraine, Germany and Poland signed a protocol of intentions to set up in Poland a hub to maintain and repair Leopard 2 main battle tanks that are being sent to Ukraine.