The UK will supply Ukraine with 12 Challenger 2 tanks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The Prime Minister outlined the United Kingdom's desire to increase our support for Ukraine, including through the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems. The Prime Minister stressed that he and the entire UK government will work intensively with international partners to quickly provide support that will allow Ukraine to use its advantage, win this war and ensure a lasting peace, ”the BBC said in a statement . Si.
Military experts note that the Challenger 2 tanks have a number of features that make them of little use on the Ukrainian front. For example, this is a mass of these vehicles of 75 tons, which is why they cannot pass through most Ukrainian bridges, and it will also be difficult for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to maintain them and provide them with ammunition. Analysts at the Conflict Intelligence Team write that the transfer of such tanks is only good for lifting the taboo on the supply of heavy weapons, so that other countries that have tanks do not fear an escalation.
“In addition to the fact that the supply of Challenger 2 tanks will lead to problems with spare parts and logistics (which are always aggravated when any new weapons appear in Ukraine), the Challenger 2 tank is also very heavy in itself: 75 tons (for comparison, like the T-72B3M weighs approximately 47 tons). Bridges built during the Soviet era are designed to carry up to 50 tons; the trawls available in Ukraine are also not capable of transporting such heavy equipment; in addition, there may be problems with oversized and when transporting such tanks by rail.”
The journalists of The Guardian and Bloomberg adhere to the same opinion. According to publications, the UK decided to supply Challenger 2 tanks in order to put pressure on Germany, which has so far refused to issue a permit for the supply of Leopard 2 tanks, on the eve of the meeting on January 20 in the Ramstein format.