A convoy of 50 Leopard 1 tanks departed from Tournai on Monday, destined for Ukraine. Freddy Versluys, CEO of OIP Land Systems, stated that the tanks will make initial stops in Germany and

Italy for necessary refurbishments and the installation of contemporary weaponry before progressing to the combat zone. "After that, they will travel on to the battlefield," Versluys informed De Standaard.

The tanks' arrival in Ukraine will not be immediate. Versluys clarified, "Transport alone will take several weeks. You don't just put 50 tanks on a truck in a couple of days."

These Leopard 1 tanks were procured approximately a decade ago by an arms dealer when the Belgian military decommissioned them in favor of lighter tanks. Earlier this year, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) unveiled the government's interest in repurchasing the tanks for dispatch to Kyiv. However, Versluys revealed that the proposed price was "unreasonable," rendering the sale unfeasible.

Subsequently, Versluys located a buyer who not only purchased the tanks but also contributed them as a donation to Kyiv. The identity of the country behind this generous gesture and the exact transaction amount remain undisclosed. Up to this point, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands have officially announced their intentions to provide Ukraine with Leopard 1 tanks.

Due to soaring demand and extended lead times for manufacturing, the market value of these tanks has surged to at least 500,000 euros per unit.

These Leopard 1s are not the first "Belgian" military assets to make their way to the frontlines. In June of the previous year, the United Kingdom procured 20 self-propelled howitzers from Flanders Technical Supply. These howitzers had been shelved by the Belgian government in 2008, as they no longer aligned with the nation's military strategy. Photo by Adamicz, Wikimedia commons.