The Business Insider reports citing its sources. The ring exchange will allegedly be announced this week.
"According to information from Business Insider from government circles, Germany is supplying 15 modern Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Slovakia. The first vehicle is to go to the Eastern European country later this year. In return, Slovakia will deliver 30 Soviet-era tanks to Ukraine. The ring exchange should be announced promptly this week, it is said," the report states.
Read more: Ukraine’s HIMARS Destroyed Another Ammunition Depot Hidden in Quarry
But it should be noted as Aktuality.sk reports, Slovakia not considering sending T-72 tanks to Ukraine, which was earlier reported by Business Insider. According to the Aktuality.sk news site, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Aug. 23 that at the moment, Slovakia “is not considering sending T-72 tanks to Ukraine.” Instead, Slovakia can deliver over 30 BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, and get 15 Leopard 2 tanks, necessary ammunition, spare parts, and comprehensive training from Germany in return.
Nad has not yet revealed when exactly Ukraine can expect 30 IFVs from the Slovak Republic. He assumes that in the next few weeks. However, for security reasons, the Department of Defense of the Slovak Republic wants to inform about the delivery of BVP-1 only after these vehicles are in Ukraine.
The ring exchange with Slovakia, which had already been announced in the spring, almost failed in mid-June. But now Berlin and Bratislava have apparently agreed on a deal for the delivery of heavy weapons.
Bratislava had considered that 15 Leopard 2A4 instead of 30 T-72M is an unequal exchange.
As Defense Express reported, for two months, the German and Slovak governments had not managed to agree on the supply of T-72M type tanks to Ukraine, which was to take place under the "ring exchange" mechanism.
Read more: Does the US Really Send More Weapons to Ukraine Than Announced: How HARM And Other Armament Were Disguised For Ukraine’s Armed Forces
