The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, visited the Santa Bárbara Sistemas factory in Alcalá de Guadaíra, Seville, to check the condition of the first six Leopard 2A4 tanks that Spain will send to Ukraine next week. The tanks were at the factory for repair and overhaul after having been transferred from Zaragoza. The Spanish government will also send another four tanks for repair at the same factory.
The minister stressed that the shipment of these tanks shows the commitment of the Spanish Government to help the Ukrainian people, who are being “massacred” by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The repair of the tanks has been done in record time and has been given top priority, as the tanks are expected to join the rest of the armored vehicles being sent by European allies for the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the spring.
The repair of the tanks has required a budget of 4.1 million euros. The tanks had not been used by the Army for the last 15 years and were in a rather poor condition, so they needed a total and absolute upgrade. During her visit to the factory, Minister Robles was able to talk with workers and engineers, as well as with some of the local suppliers.
In short, the visit of the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, to the Santa Bárbara Sistemas factory in Alcalá de Guadaíra, Seville, was to check the condition of the Leopard 2A4 tanks that Spain will send to Ukraine. The tanks have been repaired and overhauled in record time and are expected to join the rest of the armored vehicles sent by the European allies for the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the spring. The minister stressed the commitment of the Spanish government to help the Ukrainian people and thanked the teams involved in the repair of the tanks.