The Lithuanian Armed Forces, jointly with the German defence industry, will repair Leopard tanks brought back from combat operations in Ukraine.

The press service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces reported that the combat vehicles will be sent back to the battlefield once their technical capability is restored.

It is noted that this type of real-world exercise allows the Lithuanian army to train and maintain the readiness of its personnel, as well as verify logistics chains and provide uninterrupted support to Ukraine.

Earlier, Vilnius repaired and brought back PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, whereas a group of 18 Ukrainian Armed Forces mechanics were trained by Lithuanian howitzer repair specialists, as these artillery pieces are losing their technical characteristics due to intensive use, and the ability to repair them in combat is crucial.

In early October, reports emerged that Ukraine had received the first Leopard tanks repaired at the Bumar-Łabędy plant from Poland.

Earlier, Berlin had reached an agreement with Warsaw to set up a repair centre for Leopard 2 tanks that were damaged on the battlefield in Ukraine.

In July, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced that a service and repair centre for Leopard 2 tanks received by Ukraine had been launched in Gliwice, Poland, at the Bumar-Łabędy plant.

The centre was due to open in late May. Following talks in April with Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, his German counterpart Boris Pistorius said both sides had reached the final stage of implementation.