Mercedes

• Ukrainian soldier compared Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks to a Mercedes.
• Ukrainian servicemen are being trained on Leopard 2 simulations.
• Germany’s tanks weigh more than 60 tonnes and have a 120 mm smoothbore gun.

A Ukrainian soldier compared Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks to a Mercedes as he underwent training with them ahead of their arrival on the battlefield, saying he hoped they would bring a breakthrough in the war.

He is one of the dozens of Ukrainian servicemen being trained on Leopard 2 simulations and subsequently the tanks themselves at Germany’s largest military training facility in Munster before being sent to Ukraine.

Germany decided last month to give the tanks, regarded as among the strongest in the West’s arsenal, overcoming reservations about supplying heavy weaponry that Kyiv sees as critical to defeating Russia’s invasion but Moscow regards as a deadly provocation.

“It is crucial that we use this modern weapon wisely, it will bring the breakthrough and we will win in the end,” said the 57-year-old soldier.

Asked about the difference between Western and Soviet systems, he said: “You can imagine it like the difference between a Mercedes and a Zhiguli” – referring to a Soviet car sold under the brand name Lada in the West.

Germany’s tanks, manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, weigh more than 60 tonnes, have a 120 mm smoothbore gun, and can hit targets up to 4 kilometers away (2.5 miles).

Ukraine’s foreign minister said last month that he expected a “first wave” of 120 to 140 Western tanks from a coalition of 12 countries, including the German Leopard 2, with time for training.

In total, Germany is training hundreds of troops in various facets of warfare as part of a European initiative to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

Another soldier, who was being trained on the Marder infantry combat vehicle, said the Western systems were not that different from those used by the Ukrainians on Soviet-built vehicles.

“We have experience with similar weapons systems … The logic is the same, sometimes we don’t even need the interpreters to understand the instructors,” said the 33-year-old, like his colleague wearing a scarf, pulled up over his face and orange-tinted ballistic glasses to hide his identity.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius praised the Ukrainian military.

“Talking about a war is different from looking into the faces of people who … came here directly from the frontline, and who will go back there with the tanks once they have completed their training,” he told reporters.

The soldiers are working 12-hour days, six days a week.

“They are highly motivated and eager for knowledge … They know that they will be back at the frontline in five weeks’ time,” said a German lieutenant-colonel who is responsible for the Leopard training and only gave his name as Peter.

Both soldiers are scheduled to return to Ukraine before the end of March.

When asked how they deal with their dread, the 57-year-old replied troops must adapt to it.

“Fear? Yes, everyone is afraid. But it is crucial how you handle your fear – and how to fight on despite it,” he said.

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