Ukraine may become first buyer of latest German tank, negotiations are ongoing - CEO of Rheinmetall AG

The company's CEO Armin Papperger told Handelsblatt in an interview.

“We are talking to Kyiv about exporting Panther tanks,” he said.

According to him, Ukraine is interested in this and has also expressed interest in the new Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.

Rheinmetall presented the Panther at an exhibition in Paris in the summer of 2022, and the tank claims to be one of the most powerful in the world. Ukraine could potentially become its first buyer.

The tank still exists only as a demonstration model, but the manufacturer assures that it can deliver the first vehicles in 15-18 months. The tanks can be assembled in Germany or Hungary, but exports require the consent of the German government, as this is a German development.

The Panther KF51 is a development based on the Leopard 2 and is the most suitable for countries that already have Leopards in service. Ukraine is expected to receive the first such tanks from its allies in the coming months.