Latest news with #Leopard2A4
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
After Losing 1,000 Tanks, Ukraine Is Rethinking How It Uses Them
A Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 crosses a river in Donetsk Oblast in 2024. The Ukrainian National Guard's best brigades are getting some of Ukraine's best tanks. Last week, Gen. Oleksandr Pivnenko—commander of the roughly 100,000-strong paramilitary force—announced some of his brigades had received German-made Leopard 1A5 and Leopard 2A4 tanks. The four-person tanks 'have already proven their effectiveness in combat conditions,' Pivnenko wrote. 'They combine high mobility, firepower and reliability, which are critical on the modern battlefield.' The 42-ton Leopard 1A5 packs a 105-millimeter main gun; the 61-ton Leopard 2A4's gun is bigger at 120 millimeters. Both tanks have four crew, but the heavier Leopard 2A4 offers its crew much more protection. It's unclear which National Guard units will get the German tanks, but it's likely the 12 so-called 'offensive guard' brigades, each with at least 2,000 troopers, are first in line. The offensive guard brigades are, like all Ukrainian guard brigades, made up of border guards, federal police and other internal security forces. But they're trained and equipped to the same standards as the Ukrainian army, air assault forces and marine corps. The guard brigades' armor upgrade does not represent an expansion of the overall Ukrainian armor corps, however. Instead, it's part of a total rewriting of Ukrainian tank doctrine for the drone era. After losing more than 1,000 tanks, many of them to Russian drones, Ukrainian leaders have accepted that the heavy, powerfully armed fighting vehicles need to operate differently if they're going to survive on a battlefield where tiny drones are everywhere all the time. Tank crews should operate extremely carefully—hiding most of the time in barns, garages or dugouts and rolling out only occasionally to fire a few shells before scurrying back under cover. It's a new 'era of the cautious tank,' David Kirichenko, an analyst with the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C., announced in September. Functioning more like cautious artillery and less like the brazen, close-fighting assault vehicles they once were, tanks are losing some of their relevance. Embracing that new truth, the Ukrainian army is reorganizing its tank units. The four active tank brigades, each with up to 100 tanks, are likely to disband. Some of the hundreds of tanks freed up by this reform—including potentially scores of Leopard 1A5s and Leopard 2A4s, out of 240 of the tanks Ukraine is getting from its allies—will cascade to new 30-tank battalions belonging to infantry and mechanized brigades and the new multi-brigade corps that the Ukrainian ground forces are organizing. Ukraine's tanks are dispersing on the battlefield—spreading out and hiding to avoid detection by drones—and also dispersing within the Ukrainian military's force structure: playing more of a supporting role than a lead role in a war increasingly shaped by tiny, lethal robots. The end result should be a somewhat smaller overall tank corps with fewer vehicles and fewer crews, but which is better suited for the kind of war Ukraine is waging. Cutting tank units isn't just a doctrinal imperative, however. It may also help the general staff in Kyiv solve one of its most vexing problems: a deep shortage of front-line infantry. By sending fewer new recruits to tank school, military planners could send more to infantry school.
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
How showdown between Zelensky & Putin will be an ice cold poker game… but one man will have a clear upper hand
SHOWDOWN talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will be like an ice cold poker game, an expert says. And one of the two rivals will have a clear upper hand if potential peace negotiations that could shape the future of Europe get underway in Istanbul. 5 A Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 tank fires Credit: AFP 5 Zelensky and Putin last met in 2019 Credit: AFP 5 Zelensky and Putin have met in public once before, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, in 2019, when they spoke about the conflict in the Donbas. But the pair could now meet in the iconic Turkish city as they engage in a game of high stakes diplomatic brinkmanship. Dr Colin Alexander at the University of Nottingham Trent University has told The Sun that Zelensky needs to try and be smart about the man he would be sitting across from. Putin would be level headed as he goes about trying to achieve his goals - something the Ukrainian needed to respect in order to get peace. Read more on world news DON DEAL US & China agree to slash Trump tariffs by 115% for 90 days to ease trade war Dr Alexander said: "You're playing the scenario, but you're also playing the person as well. "I know that's maybe a poker analogy. But that's kind of where we're at with this if you're negotiating with a professional." In such a high-pressure and emotionally charged set piece, an historic clash could erupt between Zelensky and Putin that rivals the infamous Oval Office row. But Dr Alexander said: "Vladimir Putin is very different type of politician, a very shrewd, very intelligent politician, but he's not going to engage with Zelensky in that [angry] way. "I think that there's there's much greater seriousness to this, and he's more likely to be more courteous, I think, to him." For Ukraine's benefit, Dr Alexander said Zelensky had to have the same poker-like mindset. Putin unleashes 100 drones on Ukraine after Zelensky calls his bluff Zelensky's country has been invaded and tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed - but wartime diplomacy means talking to people you might detest in order to get peace. He said: " In these dreadful circumstances comes an understanding that you have to engage with people who you firmly disagree with, and may well find to be quite repugnant. "Zelensky hopefully treats it with the maturity and the responsibility that it deserves. "But that doesn't mean that Zelensky won't go in with the sort of painful memory of that moment at the White House in the back of his mind." 5 An Ukrainian soldier fires his rifle during military training Credit: AFP 5 Ukrainian soldiers fire at drones Exactly how the meeting plays out depends on whether the two leaders see a genuine chance at finding an end to the war. If not, then we would see "dead cats" - distraction tactics, like a fabricated row, could be used by either side to shift the focus from their being no substantive progress, Dr Alexander said. That could even mean Zelensky ditching his pseudo-combat fatigues for a suit to try and signal to Donald Trump he's serious about peace and change the media coverage in a clever bait and switch. Dr Alexander said: "He's [Zelensky] pretty good at the choreography aspect of politics, which in this highly mediated 21st century is kind of half the battle, or maybe even more than half the battle." If there is little progress, then some might see no chance of Putin meeting with Zelensky. But Dr Alexander said that Putin risked being viewed as "petulant" even in his own country if he wouldn't meet Zelensky or treated him badly if they did. If everyone wants peace why is the war in Ukraine still raging? The answer is very simple Comment by Jerome Starkey, Defence Editor for The Sun EVERYONE says they want peace, so why is the war still raging in Ukraine? The short answer is simple: Peace means very different things to very different people. They have different goals and different motives. Vladimir Putin wants total conquest. And he wants to be remembered as a modern Tsar who restored Russia's imperial greatness. Ukraine wants to survive, as a sovereign independent nation. Europe wants a chastened Russia and peace that lasts beyond six months. Trump just wants a deal — any deal at any price — with minerals thrown in for good measure. He wants to claim the glory and perhaps a Nobel Peace Prize for sorting out the carnage which he sees as Barack Obama and Joe Biden's mess. The American position is clear from the terrible deal they want Kyiv to accept. Their so-called seven-point peace plan would freeze the war on the current front lines and force Ukraine to surrender almost all of its occupied territories — some 44,000 square miles — with almost nothing in return. The expert believes there likely would be a handshake between the two leaders if they meet with Zelensky more likely to let his emotions show in the hand grasp. Dr Alexander said: "How these two men will behave in the handshake carries a lot of of weight in it." If there is any actual progress on peace, diplomacy would likely occur behind closed doors. "Whenever there is a sort of bilateral meeting of this nature, particularly given the high stakes... this is very much for public audience." But, for Zelensky to have Donald Trump's backing he has to prove he is serious about peace. One factor that sits in Zelensky's favour is that Putin is a dictator and sets Russian policy himself. Zelensky can reason directly with Putin and could try his best to change the Russian's mind about an issue during the meeting - and therefore change Russian policy. Whereas democrat Zelensky still has a democracy he is accountable to. Dr Alexander said: "What's interesting is that in in any meeting Zelensky cannot firmly make a decision. He has to go back and speak to other people." The brave Ukrainian could go into the meeting with his hands tied trying to impress Trump and his own people. Shrewd Putin, however, has much more freedom to change as he sees fit.
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
How showdown between Zelensky & Putin will be an ice cold poker game… but one man will have a clear upper hand
SHOWDOWN talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will be like an ice cold poker game, an expert says. And one of the two rivals will have a clear upper hand if 5 A Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 tank fires Credit: AFP 5 Zelensky and Putin last met in 2019 Credit: AFP 5 Zelensky and Putin have met in public once before, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, in 2019, when they spoke about the conflict in the Donbas. But the pair could now meet in the iconic Turkish city as they engage in a game of high stakes diplomatic brinkmanship. Dr Colin Alexander at the University of Nottingham Trent University has told The Sun that Zelensky needs to try and be smart about the man he would be sitting across from. Putin would be level headed as he goes about trying to achieve his goals - something the Ukrainian needed to respect in order to get peace. Read more on world news Dr Alexander said: "You're playing the scenario, but you're also playing the person as well. "I know that's maybe a poker analogy. But that's kind of where we're at with this if you're negotiating with a professional." In such a high-pressure and emotionally charged set piece, an historic clash could erupt between Zelensky and Putin that rivals the infamous Oval Office row. But Dr Alexander said: "Vladimir Putin is very different type of politician, a very shrewd, very intelligent politician, but he's not going to engage with Zelensky in that [angry] way. Most read in The US Sun "I think that there's there's much greater seriousness to this, and he's more likely to be more courteous, I think, to him." For Ukraine's benefit, Dr Alexander said Zelensky had to have the same poker-like mindset. Putin unleashes 100 drones on Ukraine after Zelensky calls his bluff Zelensky's country has been invaded and tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed - but wartime diplomacy means talking to people you might detest in order to get peace. He said: " In these dreadful circumstances comes an understanding that you have to engage with people who you firmly disagree with, and may well find to be quite repugnant. "Zelensky hopefully treats it with the maturity and the responsibility that it deserves. "But that doesn't mean that Zelensky won't go in with the sort of painful memory of that moment at the White House in the back of his mind." 5 An Ukrainian soldier fires his rifle during military training Credit: AFP 5 Ukrainian soldiers fire at drones Exactly how the meeting plays out depends on whether the two leaders see a genuine chance at finding an end to the war. If not, then we would see "dead cats" - distraction tactics, like a fabricated row, could be used by either side to shift the focus from their being no substantive progress, Dr Alexander said. That could even mean Zelensky ditching his pseudo-combat fatigues for a suit to try and signal to Donald Trump he's serious about peace and change the media coverage in a clever bait and switch. Dr Alexander said: "He's [Zelensky] pretty good at the choreography aspect of politics, which in this highly mediated 21st century is kind of half the battle, or maybe even more than half the battle." If there is little progress, then some might see no chance of Putin meeting with Zelensky. But Dr Alexander said that Putin risked being viewed as "petulant" even in his own country if he wouldn't meet Zelensky or treated him badly if they did. If everyone wants peace why is the war in Ukraine still raging? The answer is very simple Comment by Jerome Starkey, Defence Editor for The Sun EVERYONE says they want peace, so why is the war still raging in Ukraine? The short answer is simple: Peace means very different things to very different people. They have different goals and different motives. Vladimir Putin wants total conquest. And he wants to be remembered as a modern Tsar who restored Russia's imperial greatness. Ukraine wants to survive, as a sovereign independent nation. Europe wants a chastened Russia and peace that lasts beyond six months. Trump just wants a deal — any deal at any price — with minerals thrown in for good measure. He wants to claim the glory and perhaps a Nobel Peace Prize for sorting out the carnage which he sees as Barack Obama and Joe Biden's mess. The American position is clear from the terrible deal they want Kyiv to accept. Their so-called seven-point peace plan would freeze the war on the current front lines and force Ukraine to surrender almost all of its occupied territories — some 44,000 square miles — with almost nothing in return. The expert believes there likely would be a handshake between the two leaders if they meet with Zelensky more likely to let his emotions show in the hand grasp. Dr Alexander said: "How these two men will behave in the handshake carries a lot of of weight in it." If there is any actual progress on peace, diplomacy would likely occur behind closed doors. "Whenever there is a sort of bilateral meeting of this nature, particularly given the high stakes... this is very much for public audience." But, for Zelensky to have Donald Trump's backing he has to prove he is serious about peace. One factor that sits in Zelensky's favour is that Putin is a dictator and sets Russian policy himself. Zelensky can reason directly with Putin and could try his best to change the Russian's mind about an issue during the meeting - and therefore change Russian policy. Whereas democrat Zelensky still has a democracy he is accountable to. Dr Alexander said: "What's interesting is that in in any meeting Zelensky cannot firmly make a decision. He has to go back and speak to other people." The brave Ukrainian could go into the meeting with his hands tied trying to impress Trump and his own people. Shrewd Putin, however, has much more freedom to change as he sees fit. What is Zelensky's offer? On Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin's bluff and said he would travel to Istanbul for a face-to-face peace talks. Vladimir Putin has always been open to talks - but has not changed his strategic goals away from dismembering Ukraine and replacing its government with a puppet. Putin is yet to reveal whether he will travel or meet directly with his arch rival. That's because Ukraine, the US, and European nations are demanding Russia agree to a 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward peace. Donald Trump has long demanded a quick peace to end the war. But Ukraine and Russia both want to keep fighting and are deftly trying to position themselves to win the favour of Trump. Putin wants to peel America away from supporting Ukraine, while Zelensky needs American weapons and finance to keep fighting Russia. Zelensky wants an immediate pause in fighting saying 'we expect a ceasefire from [Monday] – complete and lasting, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. "There is no point in prolonging the killings." Trump has put pressure on Zelensky to meet with Putin - even though the Russian leader refused to agree to a ceasefire. He said: 'President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. 'Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. 'At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly! 'I'm starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who's too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America. "HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!'
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
US says it will no longer mediate in Russia-Ukraine peace talks as Washington vows to stop flying to meetings and pushes both sides to deliver 'concrete ideas' to end war
Washington has said it will no longer mediate peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia after despot Vladimir Putin refused to sign a ceasefire deal. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said last night that the US will be changing 'the methodology of how we contribute... in that we will not be the mediators.' 'But we are not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings, that it is now between the two parties,' the former Fox News host added. 'Now is the time that they need to present and develop concrete ideas about how this conflict is going to end. It's going to be up to them.' The day before the announcement, Trump approved his administration's first arms export to Kyiv. He informed Congress that he would approve exporting at least $50million (£38million) in arms to Ukraine. This is the first time the president has approved an export deal since taking office in January, and came just a few weeks after the US put all military aid being sent to Ukraine under review. It comes just days after Ukraine signed a major minerals deal with the US. A Ukrainian tank crew of the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a round from a Leopard 2A4 tank during a field training exercise at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on April 30, 2025 The agreement, which is yet to be approved by the Ukrainian Parliament, is considerably less exploitative than the initial deal proposed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this year, but will still see Washington profit extensively from Ukrainian natural resources. It was hoped the US commitment to invest in Ukrainian infrastructure could facilitate ceasefire negotiations as Bessent said the agreement will show the 'Russian leadership that there is no daylight between the Ukrainian people and the American people, between our goals'. Bessent said prior to the US' decision to pull out of its mediating role that the signing of the deal 'signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centred on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, declared that the signing of the minerals deal was the 'first result' of the meeting he had with Trump at the Vatican during the pope's funeral and called the agreement 'truly historic'. Last night, US Vice President JD Vance declared he doesn't see an end to the Russia-Ukraine war 'any time soon' as Secretary for State Marco Rubio admitted Donald Trump needs to find a breakthrough quickly in ceasefire negotiations. 'It's going to be up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict,' Vance said in an interview on Fox News with host Bret Baier. 'It's not going anywhere, Bret. It's not going to end any time soon.' He went on to admit that it was difficult to be confident that an end to the war was in sight, because the Russians and Ukrainians 'have to take the final step' and 'come to their senses', before trivialising Russia 's invasion of its sovereign neighbour. 'For the Ukrainians, yes, of course they are angry that they were invaded, but are we going to continue to lose thousands and thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory this or that way?' Vance said. Firefighters put out the fire at an apartment house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025 Russia said on Friday its forces were continuing to create a 'security strip' in border areas of Ukraine's Sumy region after driving Ukrainian troops out of the Kursk region, just across the border in western Russia. Ukraine says its forces still have a foothold in Kursk, where it staged an incursion in August to try to distract Russian forces and win leverage in any future peace talks, but that it is concerned about a possible Russian advance into Sumy. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in March that Russia should look to create a buffer zone in the Sumy region to guard against any future potential Ukrainian incursions. 'Units of the North group of forces have completed the rout of Ukrainian Armed Forces formations in the Kursk region,' the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. 'The creation of a 'security strip' in the border areas of Ukraine's Sumy region continues.'
CBC
07-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Military planners map out restructuring the Canadian Army, says top soldier
The Canadian Army is about to embark on a wholesale restructuring in the face of growing demands for troops and equipment both overseas and at home, says the country's top soldier. A military modernization team is currently studying the problem against the backdrop of a shortage of as many as 5,000 soldiers, Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright told CBC News in a recent interview at the NATO training centre in Adazi, Latvia. "The army we have now is not the army that we need for the future," Wright said when asked if he was satisfied with the equipping of the troops on the Western military's alliance's deterrence mission in Eastern Europe. He made his remarks against a backdrop of threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to annex Canada through economic force. Several senior Canadian commanders have recently faced questions about how long the country could hold out if relations with Washington deteriorated further and the United States chose a military option. Wright wouldn't comment, other than to say ties with the American military have remained unchanged and strong despite the political rhetoric. "I'm not even going to imagine the unimaginable," he said. The army is facing a number of challenges — both overseas and domestically — and Canada has struggled to field equipment to its force in Latvia, including modern anti-tank weapons, air-defence systems and counter-drone technology. It currently has 47 capital projects on the go. The absence of such equipment has been a major gap for soldiers, whose job it is to defend Latvia, a NATO member, should Russia turn its military attention to the Baltic region. Some of the equipment — deemed critical in light of the way the war between Russia and Ukraine has unfolded — is still making its way to the brigade more than a year after being declared an urgent operational requirement. Other existing equipment, such as the Leopard 2A4 tanks, are facing a well-documented shortage of spare parts. Last fall, satellite images analyzed by Estonian media noted that several bases on the Russian side of the border, which had been emptied of troops and equipment following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, are now showing signs of life and vehicles, including tanks and long-range artillery. "Am I content with how we are prepared here? The answer is yes, but we actually need to get to the point of what we have here in Latvia — we're able to feel that for the entire Canadian Army," Wright said. "So I'm really focused on that." The Canadian Army currently has three major regular force infantry regiments, a series of tank and artillery units as well as 185 reserve units located in 86 cities across the country. The modernization team, Wright said, is looking at everything and consulting with allies on how they have overhauled their armies to face modern threats that have emerged in the Ukraine war, including the use of explosive-laden drones. The Liberal government's defence policy promises, among other things, to buy the army surface-to-surface ballistic missiles and modern, perhaps rocket-based artillery — capabilities Canadian soldiers have not used. Defence Minister Bill Blair also recently announced that the military would acquire what's known as loitering munitions, the kinds of drones made infamous online and seen destroying Russian and Ukrainian armoured vehicles. "I really want to look at what we need to do to put the real focus on war fighting, on the lethality within the army and be able to provide the effects to NATO or to anywhere else that we need to be," Wright said. "We're going to look at everything in terms of how we are structured, from the very top of the army headquarters right down to the unit level." Wright didn't want to presuppose what the overhaul will look like in the end, but he said he didn't want to cut units. The calls to reorganize the army have also been coming from outside of the military. With soldiers increasingly being deployed on domestic operations, a House of Commons committee studied whether deploying soldiers to fight wildfires and other disasters is an appropriate use of resources. Both deploying to Latvia and responding to domestic emergencies has stretched the army increasingly thin. In some cases, Wright said, the absence of equipment, personnel and structures has forced Canada into the uncomfortable position of not meeting a goal set out by NATO — namely the ability to deploy a divisional headquarters into the field on short notice. "There are capabilities which NATO has assigned to us which we currently don't have the ability to fulfil," he said. "We do have division headquarters in Canada, but those divisions are — frankly — administrative and regional based." Despite Wright's confidence in the equipping of the force in Latvia, there are still holes. Out of the three major, urgent equipment projects — originally ordered in late 2023 — two are still awaiting delivery. A $32.2-million modern anti-tank weapons system, known as Portable Anti "X" Missile (PAXM), which were supposed to arrive last summer, has not arrived and defence officials say it is still undergoing evaluation "and delivery can't be confirmed until testing is finished." A new air-defence system is scheduled to arrive this spring, said Col. Cédric Aspirault, the Canadian brigade commander in Latvia The counter-drone system is operational, he added. Last fall, the army in Latvia also received a number of light tactical vehicles — a small troop carrier with offroad capabilities — and portable medium-range radar systems. The army is still, however, struggling with a shortage of spare parts for the 15 Leopard 2A4 tanks attached to the brigade. "We are working towards finding your solutions," said Aspirault, who added that the spares, which are manufactured in Europe, are required to be sent to Canada before they are re-routed to the brigade in Latvia. "However, the army now is well aware of the problem, and we are looking at options to streamline that process and bring the parts directly here."
