Ukraine's partners promise 321 tanks - Ambassador to France Omelchenko

He said this in a commentary for the French BFMTV channel.

"As of today, many countries have officially confirmed their consent to supply 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine," the diplomat said, without specifying which countries he was referring to.

Omelchenko emphasized the importance of Ukrainian troops receiving the tanks as soon as possible.

"As for the delivery time, it varies from case to case. Some need to be serviced, others need to resolve logistical issues, and still others are waiting for other models to be delivered in order to give away the ones they are giving," explained the ambassador.

"We need this assistance as soon as possible. If we wait until August or September, it will be too late," he emphasized.

According to Omelchenko, Ukraine is preparing for a possible Russian offensive on several fronts in the spring of 2023.

 "We are not afraid, we are preparing very seriously," the diplomat said.

• In the context of the tank supply, Western media often quote the words of the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who said in an interview with The Economist last year that Ukraine needs at least 300 tanks for a successful offensive, not including other equipment.

• Ukraine will receive 14 Leopard 2 tanks from the Bundeswehr, and Germany has also allowed partner countries to provide Ukrainian defenders with German tanks from their own stocks.

• Following the latest negotiations, Ukraine expects to receive about 100 Leopard tanks from 12 countries.