Finland has promised Leopard 2 mine-clearing tanks to Ukraine in Helsinki's latest round of military aid, joining several other countries in donating Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.
Finland's defense ministry announced on March 23 that the country's 14th round of military aid for Ukraine would include three Leopard 2 armored mine-clearing vehicles.
This came on top of the previously commitment from February 2023, bringing the total of donated Leopard 2 armored mine-clearing vehicles to six.
However, these mine-clearing vehicles differ from the Leopard 2 main battle tanks donated by Germany and other Western countries to Kyiv.
The mine-clearing vehicles are equipped with machine guns, rather than tank guns, local media reported when the vehicles were first included in the 13th tranche of military aid from Helsinki. They also have a mine flail, according to The Helsinki Times, which helps clear a path through a minefield by deliberately detonating explosives.
They are intended to safely pave the way for main battle tanks, such as the Leopard 2A6.
Berlin confirmed in late January that it would send 14 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks to Ukraine after weeks of pressure and deliberation. It also gave permission for other countries to re-export the German-made tanks, which were widely considered by Western analysts the best fit for Ukraine's armed forces.
"We are acting in close international coordination," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the time. Warsaw originally sent four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and pledged another 10 earlier this month.
Just ahead of the first anniversary of all-out war beginning in Ukraine, Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, promised 10 Leopard tanks for Kyiv in "the coming weeks or months." Sweden said on February 24, 2022, that it would donate up to 10 Leopard 2 tanks.
On March 20, Norway's armed forces said eight Leopard 2 tanks had arrived in Ukraine and were "ready for action in the war against Russia."
Countries such as Canada have also given Leopard 2s, with the first of the four donated by Ottawa arriving in Poland in early February. The U.S. has also promised to send 31 Abrams main battle tanks.
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, which manufactures the variants of the Leopard 2 tanks, has described the 2A6M model as offering "passive crew protection against mines," if not specifically designed for mine clearance. The armed forces of 18 countries use Leopard 2 tanks, the defense manufacturer added.
The 2A6M, and the earlier 2A4 model, are fitted with a 120mm smoothbore gun and a 7.62mm machine gun. The Leopard 2A6 has a top speed of around 43 miles per hour, with a top range of approximately 280 miles.
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