Poland, allies to field armoured brigade for Ukraine, president says

Poland and a coalition of Ukraine-supporting states will hopefully donate enough Leopard tanks to enable the formation of a whole armoured brigade for Ukraine's armed forces, Poland's President Andrzej Duda has said.

On Monday Duda and Poland's defence minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, visited the headquarters of the 10th Armoured Brigade in Świętoszów, southwestern Poland to watch Ukrainian tank crews training on Leopard tanks.

Poland, which has given Ukraine a company of its Leopards, has appealed to other Nato members to aid the country's struggle against invading Russian forces by supplying its army with Leopard tanks.

Duda said the Ukrainians will spend a month in training in Świętoszów, among others under instructors from Canada and Norway.

"We have organised training courses for Ukrainian tank crews to help Ukraine resist the Russian onslaught," Duda said. He added that the Leopard tanks donated by Poland and other countries will hopefully form the nucleus of an armoured brigade for the Ukrainian army.

"I hope an armoured brigade will soon be at Ukraine's disposal," Duda said.

Błaszczak informed that a coalition of states, including Poland, ready to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine was already in formation. He said Leopards donated by Canada were already in Poland, and that still awaited were machines from Norway.

Błaszczak added that talks on Leopard supplies with Spain were well-advanced.