immersed aboard one of the Leopard 2s delivered to kyiv

They train twelve hours a day, six days a week, on tanks that they hope will change the course of the war. Intensive Leopard 2 training was offered to several hundred Ukrainians. It starts on a simulator and according to German trainers, only 20% of Ukrainian soldiers already have experience in handling armored vehicles. Basic training lasts five weeks compared to a minimum of three months in normal times.

A revolutionary cannon

For Ukrainians, limited so far to Soviet tanks, the Leopard 2 is a revolution. “The driver can move the vehicle in night vision, both forwards and backwards and benefits from anti-mine protections”, decrypts Aaron Koch, a German army trainer. But the big advantage of this tank is its extremely stable 120 mm gun. Thanks to sensors and the computer system, it always remains stable and can reach its target even when driving at 70 km/h on rough terrain.