Switzerland Bars Transfer of Leopard Tanks to Ukraine

The Swiss government has given the go-ahead for the sale of 71 Leopard 1 A5 tanks belonging to the Swiss company RUAG MRO to Germany but has barred its further transfer to Ukraine.

"The Federal Council has received information indicating that RUAG MRO has the right to sell 71 Leopard 1 A5 tanks to Germany without obtaining special permission," the Swiss government said in a press release published on Wednesday.

It however added "any subsequent transfer of the tanks to Ukraine is prohibited."

The release explains that the tanks are currently in storage in Italy, their buyer is a German company.

The Swiss government emphasized that RUAG MRO will be able to sell another 25 Leopard 1 tanks after the disputed issues regarding their ownership are resolved.

The Swiss Federal Council recalls that in July 2023, it banned the sale of these tanks to Germany: at that time, Berlin was planning to transfer them to Kiev.

The 71 tanks are currently mothballed in Italy. Ruag MRO has a total of 96 tanks of this type, which were purchased from the Italian Ministry of Defence in 2016.

In 2023, the Swiss government prohibited the sale of the battle tanks to Germany out of concerns that they would be transferred to Ukraine. Swiss law prohibits the delivery of war materiel to countries involved in armed conflicts.