The DW Recently the Ukrainian language version wrote that the Greek government announced that it would not send to Ukraine after the 100 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles promised by the defending country at the beginning of the conflict. This is because Athena is waiting for Berlin to hand them 100 Marder combat vehicles in return for the shipment.
The Greeks argued that in the present situation, mainly due to the unfriendly rhetoric and actions of the Turks, they could not allow their defensive capabilities to deteriorate. BMP-1s were purchased from the GDR forces in Greece after the fall of the Iron Curtain and were manufactured sometime in the 1970s.
According to Ukrainian sources, there is no doubt that Germany gave Marders to the Greeks, nor about the release of armored vehicles supplied by Rheinmetall (Leopard 1 tanks plus Marders) from Germany.
In Ukraine, Germany’s unwillingness to help them has become a bit of a meme in recent weeks, despite the Berlin government’s pledge to provide self-propelled artillery systems and air defense equipment, only pistols, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and personal protective equipment have been delivered to Ukraine so far. German Chancellor Olaf Schulz has apologized several times in recent days and promised Ukraine to receive heavy weapons in the summer, early fall.
It’s interesting anyway how much interest the Slytherin series is. This type of German IFV was specially designed in the late fifties and early sixties of the last century; It is a first-generation IFV vehicle that does not have modern computer systems for fire control or modern defense systems, and in terms of combat value, it is probably not very ahead of the old Russian BMP-2 either.
Cover photo: Bundeswehrs Mardier military exercise. The picture is an illustration. Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images
