Ukraine: these armored vehicles that NATO countries are now less reluctant to deliver

Undated photo provided on January 5, 2023 by the French army and showing AMX-10 RC tanks.

AP - Jeremy Bessat

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

The French Minister for the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, spoke by telephone on Thursday January 12 with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiï Reznikov.

They agreed that the delivery of the French AMX-10 RC tanks would take place within two months.

kyiv fears having to face a major Russian offensive in the coming weeks and its forces urgently need to expand their fleet of armored vehicles.

Armored vehicles that NATO countries are now less reluctant to give to Ukraine.

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The number remains to be specified, but several dozen AMX-10s should, by the end of February, join the Ukrainian theater.

And for kyiv, there is urgency.

Announced on Wednesday by the Kremlin, the

, chief of staff of the Russian armed forces, at the head of operations, could be the signal for the preparation of a new major offensive.

However, in this war, the Ukrainian forces are sorely lacking in armored vehicles of all types.

Until now, the Western camp, fearing an escalation, has always refused to satisfy a request formulated at the start of the conflict, namely the supply of battle tanks.

By delivering its decommissioned AMXs, which nevertheless remain formidable war machines, France has opened a breach and caused a change of direction.

So, in recent days, the United States has promised to send about 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and more modern Strykers may follow.

If Berlin has so far always refused to provide this type of equipment, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, under pressure, finally agreed to give up around forty Marder infantry tanks.

And Poland would like to go further and let it be known that it was ready to deliver a squadron of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, that is to say a dozen or so units of this powerful battle tank built in Germany.

A collective decision is long overdue, but little by little the reluctance is fading.

►Grand Reportage: Mission Aigle: Leclerc tanks on the front line

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