First of Britain's Challenger 2 tanks arrive in Ukraine trends now
The first of Britain's Challenger 2 main battle tanks have arrived in Ukraine, with the country's Defence Minister giving the UK the thumbs up as he took a ride in the heavy armour that will soon take on Vladimir Putin's invaders.
Britain said in January it would send 14 of the tanks to Ukraine, which is preparing for a possible counter-offensive against Russian forces that invaded 13 months ago.
Oleksii Reznikov wrote on Twitter that the tanks had 'recently arrived in our country' and posted a video that showed him sitting in one of a long line of tanks in an open field, all of them flying Ukraine's yellow and blue flag.
'It was a pleasure to take the first Ukrainian Challenger 2 MBT (main battle tank) for a spin,' Reznikov wrote. 'These fantastic machines will soon begin their combat missions,' he added, tagging Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as well as Wallace.
In the video, he gave the thumbs up sign and thanked British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace for the tanks, as they tore around the muddy field.
Five armoured vehicles are seen in this photograph shared by Ukraine's armed forces. From left to right: A US-made MRAP Cougar, a US-made Stryker armoured fighting vehicle, a British-made Challenger 2 main battle tank, a German-made BMP Marder, and a Canadian-made Roshel Senator. Ukraine's defence minister can be seen in the foreground (centre)
'Marvellous, Ben,' he said in English. 'It's...very good stuff. Thank you very much from Ukraine to the United Kingdom.'
In addition to the video, Ukraine's armed forces shared a picture of the British Challenger 2 lined up with four other vehicles sent to Ukraine from its allies.
The picture showed a MRAP Cougar along-side a Stryker armoured fighting vehicle - both from the US, a German-made BMP Marder, and a Canadian-made Roshel Senator.
Ukrainian soldiers held the flags of Ukraine's airbourne forces, the US, the UK, Germany and Ukraine in front of the vehicles, while Ukrainian flags flew from the top of each piece of military hardware as well.
Germany's defence ministry also said on Monday that 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks and 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles had also arrived in Ukraine.
'I'm sure that they can make a decisive contribution on the front,' German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Twitter.
The £5million Challenger 2, with a 120mm rifled gun and a 7.62mm machine gun, is a battle tank designed to attack other tanks.
It is the UK's only guaranteed 24-hour, all-weather mobile tank with protected precision direct fire and anti-tank manoeuvre capability, the British army says.
An earlier version of the tank claimed the longest-distance tank kill in history, with the war machine destroying an Iraqi tank from three miles away during the Gull War.
The 27ft-long Challenger 2 has a crew of four and a range of 340 miles on-road and 160 miles off road. However, it has a top speeds of about 37mph, meaning it is slightly slower than Germany's Leopard tank.
The 75-ton Challenger 2 has been described by British military commanders as a modern tank which is 'much better protected, more reliable and quicker' than Russia's Soviet-era tanks.
Meanwhile, the Leopard 2s are seen as the workhorses of militaries across Europe, and are thus in the arsenals of several countries willing to send aid to Ukraine.
Canada, Norway and Poland also have sent such tanks to Ukraine.
Rheinmetall AG, a German defense contractor that makes the 120mm smoothbore gun on the Leopard 2, says the tank has been deployed by 'more nations than any other', with 3,500 units being supplied to 19 countries. More
