Defense Minister of Ukraine: We received the first British Challenger tanks

By Jacky Last updated Mar 27, 2023

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced that the first British Challenger tanks arrived in Ukraine, as part of helping Kiev to counter the Russian attack.

Reznikov pointed out that “British Challenger tanks, (armored) Strykers, American Cougar and German Marders” were added to “Ukrainian units”.

In turn, ministry spokeswoman Irina Zolotar confirmed to AFP that Challenger tanks “are now in Ukraine,” without specifying their number.

14 tanks

This comes after Ukrainian soldiers completed training in the United Kingdom on the use of 14 Challenger 2 tanks that London provided to Ukraine to counter the Russian attack, according to what the British Ministry of Defense announced on Monday.

The training began shortly after the UK announced in early January that it would send these tanks to Ukraine.

“The United Kingdom is sending Challenger 2 tanks, which will soon be in the hands of the Armed Forces,” the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Monday.

London had previously talked about the delivery of tanks to Kiev in March.

have undergone training

For his part, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the Ukrainian soldiers who underwent training and did not specify their number, are returning to Ukraine “better equipped, but without reviewing the level of danger” they face.

“We will continue to stand with them and do everything we can to support Ukraine for as long as needed,” he said in a statement.

As one of the Ukrainian soldiers who underwent the training said in a British Ministry of Defense video: “I am fighting for my future, the future of my country and the future of my family.”

And the United Kingdom announced in early February that it would train Ukrainian fighter pilots, which opens the door in the long term to sending aircraft to Ukraine that meet NATO standards.

Western countries consider Ukraine to have the right to defend itself, but some are reluctant to deliver weapons that would escalate the conflict by allowing Ukraine to strike Russia.