Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal posed in front of four German-made Leopard 2 heavy tanks supplied by Poland to his country’s armed forces, posting a series of photos from their handover ceremony on Friday, the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion. army on Ukrainian territory.

Mr Schmihal posed with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki by his side in several of the pictures, which he uploaded to the Telegram platform. “A year ago, tanks entered Ukraine to deprive Ukrainians of their freedom,” he said. “Today, tanks are entering Ukraine, but this time to protect freedom.”

Warsaw to deliver 14 Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Kiev.

Mr. Morawiecki for his part stated that 60 PT-91 Twardy tanks will also be delivered. It is a model based on the Soviet T-72 design, adapted and modernized based on the specifications of the Polish armed forces.

According to Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland’s cooperation with Germany played a key role in supplying the Ukrainian army with Leopards. The two countries will respectively deliver 14 and 18 such heavy tanks to form a Ukrainian armored battalion.

Poland was the first country to announce that it would supply Ukraine with Leopards and put enormous pressure on Germany to do the same. The announcement was made on January 11 by Polish President Andrzej Duda in Lviv and the request for their re-export was submitted very soon from Warsaw to Berlin. Finally, the government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to send tanks as well, after the US government had pledged to send—but later—M1 Abrams heavy tanks.