Acting Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has announced the approximate timing of the transfer of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine during a visit to the German company FFG, which is engaged in their repair.

"I am happy to have visited FFG. I was there to see that the work on the preparation of Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine is progressing, and we will be able to send them as soon as possible," the Danish Ministry of Defence press service cited Poulsen as saying.

"I am proud that Denmark, in cooperation with other countries, is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom with a large and important donation, and we still hope to be able to deliver the first tanks to Ukraine in the spring," he added.

Denmark launched the Leopard 1A5 tank restoration project together with the Netherlands and Germany in early February 2023. The first phase of the project is to deliver tanks for two battalions, equivalent to approximately 80 tanks, as soon as possible.

The first Leopard 1s are expected to be ready in the spring and will be used for training the Ukrainian military. As part of the joint initiative, Ukraine will also receive spare parts and ammunition for the tanks.

"Our cooperation to deliver such a large number of Leopard 1 tanks is consistent with other countries supplying tanks to Ukraine, and our joint project underlines the importance of cooperation between countries and industry. This is crucial for further support to Ukraine," said Poulsen.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov previously said that Ukraine would receive 80 Leopard 1s by the end of the year, with the first two dozen to arrive "by summer".