were the tanks delivered to Ukraine hijacked?

This is a rumor that has come up often since the beginning of Western aid to Ukraine: the weapons delivered to kyiv would not really be used on the front against Russia. “When our tanks hit the black market, what will we do? Ukraine is the most corrupt country in Europe”challenges a user on social networks. But to what extent is it possible to divert the weapons? For heavy equipment, like tanks, there are many items that make it difficult to find them on black markets.

Specific parts difficult to change

“As much on old Russian tanks from the 1950s, there are people in the Arabian Peninsula who manage to tinker with parts, as much on modern Western tanks, there are electronics, there are fragile parts”explains Stéphane Audrand, a specialist consultant in the arms trade. For example, on a German-built Leopard 2 tank, there are specific parts that are difficult to change and computer coding with a very high level, which makes the tanks difficult to repair elsewhere than at their manufacturer. The tanks are therefore almost impossible to divert, even if for the time being no return clause has been communicated by the exporting countries.