A Leopard 1 A5 tank fires its 105 mm cannon during a live-fire exercise June 13, 2024, at Klietz training range, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
KLIETZ, Germany — Scanning the horizon for targets, a Ukrainian tank commander in a German-made Leopard 1 locked onto a sudden downrange movement in a vast, cratered field.
The turret swiveled and the gunner took aim with the battle tank’s targeting laser. Moments later, a projectile erupted from the barrel with a roar, shaking the ground as it struck a pop-up target.
The mock battle is a daily occurrence at the Klietz military training range, where Ukrainian soldiers prepare to defend their country from Russian invasion forces.
Klietz represents one of the largest efforts to train Ukrainians on using Western-made weapons systems, along with the U.S. range in Grafenwoehr and an air base in Romania, among others.
Approximately 12,000 Ukrainian soldiers have trained in Germany at sites including the 35 square miles of Klietz’s pine-covered terrain, located about 55 miles west of Berlin.
The reality of the war is ever-present here. Drones suspected by German counterintelligence officials of being linked to Russia are regularly spotted over the training grounds, a sign that what happens here is of great interest to Moscow.
The work at Klietz is rigorous, and the Ukrainian soldiers must master in a few short weeks what their German counterparts typically learn in six months.
Each day begins at 5:30 a.m. with breakfast, followed by training sessions that extend up to 12 hours. Leadership courses often continue into the night.
A German trainer instructs a Ukrainian soldier from atop a Leopard 1 tank June 13, 2024, at the Klietz training range. License plates and faces have been blurred in accordance with German military security requirements. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
A German trainer overlooks the range as Ukrainian soldiers fire tank rounds during an exercise on June 13, 2024, at Klietz training range, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
A Leopard 1 A5 tank driven by a Ukrainian crew rolls toward its targets on the training range near Klietz, Germany. To qualify, crews also have to shoot their main weapon during forward movement. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Instructors face the challenge of tailoring their approach to soldiers varying from combat-hardened leaders to newly drafted recruits.
Even experienced drivers, loaders, gunners and commanders have something to learn because each tank is different. Operating a T-72 or another Soviet-designed tank doesn’t automatically equate to proficiency on a Leopard 1, said instructors, who along with Ukrainian soldiers were not fully identified due to security concerns and German regulations.
“A lot of what we do is learning by doing,” said German army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin M., a tank trainer. “When you sit in and operate the tank, you learn better than learning theory. That’s why they’re on the tank as early as possible.
“We all know that this is not an exercise course but training for war. Accordingly, the motivation is also high.”
Bringing back the Leopard 1
A Ukrainian tank commander scans the area behind his Leopard 1 A5 tank during a live-fire exercise June 13, 2024, at the Klietz training range, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Leopard 1 A5 tanks are lined up and ready for Ukrainian crews to use in their training sessions at the Klietz military training range, Germany, on June 13, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
A Leopard 1 A5 tank driven by a Ukrainian crew moves into position for an exercise June 13, 2024, at the Klietz training range in Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
The war in Ukraine has given the Leopard 1 A5, once relegated to secondary roles and industry storage, a second life on the battlefield.
It was developed in the 1960s and phased out of Germany’s army in the early 2000s as the Leopard 2 A6 model was introduced.
Last year, Ukraine was promised more than 100 Leopard 1 models and a smaller quantity of Leopard 2 A6’s from Germany, with further shipments from Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands. About 90 Leopard 1 tanks have been delivered thus far, Germany’s Economy Weekly news magazine reported in May.
Leopard 1 tanks are much lighter and have a smaller gun than U.S. Abrams M1A1 tanks, 31 of which were received by Ukraine last year.
Five of the Abrams tanks had already been lost to Russian attacks as of April, military officials told The Associated Press, citing surveillance and hunter-killer drone technology in driving significant changes to how and where tanks can be used effectively.
Despite its age, the Leopard 1 compares favorably to the Soviet holdovers in service. Its stabilized barrel allows for precise targeting even during movement, and its 105 mm cannon remains a formidable weapon.
The instructors are mainly active-duty soldiers, but some reservists from Germany and Denmark have volunteered to return to duty to support Ukraine.
Sergei, a Ukrainian army lieutenant and company commander, has served in the eastern Donetsk region and said the lessons here provide his teams with skills that can save lives.
Lt. Sergei, a Ukrainian tank commander, stands in front of a Leopard 1 A5 tank at the Klietz training range June 23, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
A Ukrainian soldier disassembles an MG3 machine gun during a training session at the Klietz military training range, Germany, on June 13, 2024. The German machine gun is the standard secondary weapon system on the Leopard 1 A5 tank. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Shells for an MG3 machine gun in the maintenance and training hall at the Klietz military training range, Germany, on June 13, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Ukrainian soldiers and a German instructor examine the internal control cluster of a Leopard 1 A5 tank during a technical training session on June 13, 2024, at the Klietz military range in Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
A German trainer oversees a group of Ukrainian soldiers during machine gun training at the Klietz range in Germany on June 13, 2024. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
“The training here is very, very good, better than what we could do in Ukraine. It gives us important time to practice and train,” he said.
Like many of his fellow troops, Sergei began his service on Soviet-era tanks like the T-62. He said he appreciates the in-depth training on the more advanced Leopard 1 A5.
“The Leopard is different from what we are used to, but the basics are similar,” he said. “We need more technology on the battlefield. This help is crucial.”
Life on the range
The relationship between the instructors and the students is professional, if tempered by a cold reality. There is a greater emotional distance than is often found between NATO military forces training together, one German service member said, because of the understanding that the Ukrainians will return to the front lines of a war that has claimed, by conservative estimates, well over 100,000 lives on each side.
The Ukrainian soldiers remain behind the barbed wire of the base, with rare exceptions made for group tours and medical appointments. They live in white, air-conditioned tents standing in neat rows, or containerized housing if staying for longer.
A dedicated support team of up to 1,000 soldiers works to ensure that Ukrainian forces have everything they need to focus on their training.
“Our team is on duty 24/7 and our work starts when the trainers finish,” said German air force Capt. Alena K., a liaison officer for Klietz and two other training camps.
Semi-permanent field kitchens serving traditional German fare with a capacity to make 3,350 meals a day offer hot food and lunch packs for the range.
A recreational area offers a gym, video games, board games and table tennis. A supply counter sells soft drinks, cigarettes and other creature comforts. Each Ukrainian receives a spending allowance of 6 euros per day.
The recreation area at Klietz training range offers Ukrainian soldiers a place to relax with TV, video games and snacks. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
White tents stand in neat rows at the Klietz military training range in Germany, where Ukrainian soldiers are being trained to operate Leopard 1 A5 tanks. (PIZ-SKB/Haehnel)
A training camp tent at the Klietz range in Germany provides a temporary home for Ukrainian soldiers during their tank training. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
The dining hall at Klietz training range, Germany, as seen on June 13, 2024. The kitchen can support more than 3,000 troops per day. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
“We try to make life here as good as possible for them,” said German navy Chief Petty Officer Patrick F., who manages the Ukrainian information and service point at Klietz. “In the evenings they can watch TV, play PlayStation or soccer. It’s no different from what we offer German soldiers during deployments.”
The most crucial resource, however, is the Wi-Fi network, Patrick said. Most soldiers use what little free time they have to talk with loved ones back home.
To break the camp monotony, the German team offers limited family meetings whenever possible to allow soldiers brief reunions.
“The human is at the center of what we do on the support side,” Alena K. said. “This is part of that mission.”
German teams organize transportation, meeting points and equip meeting areas with toys and supplies to make families comfortable. A few short and supervised hours later, however, they also must ensure Ukrainian troops return to their training.
“Many soldiers talk to us about things they can’t discuss with their peers,” said Staff Sgt. Simon W., a Russian speaker assigned to the team for two weeks. “They are grateful they can speak to us. We are a bit of an emotional support to them. There is a lot of dark humor among the soldiers, many of whom fear they may never come home.”
Ukrainian soldiers carry the weight of their experiences and the uncertainty of their future. For those new to military service, the rapid transition to combat readiness is daunting.
“We see various types of soldiers here … and of course we hear some of their stories, see pictures or videos that are making the rounds. It’s not easy,” Alena K. said.
Bearing witness to the soldiers leaves a mark on the German team, she added.
“We witness these reunions, their children visit, and it’s clear these soldiers are not just soldiers but also family men,” she said. “It touches us deeply, because we know that some soldiers training for front-line roles may never see their families again.”
Tank commander Sergei knows he will return to the front as soon as his training is up. He is ready to fight, and where exactly he will deploy matters little to him.
“You can never give up,” Sergei said. “You have to fight for yourself and your family. And that’s what we’re doing. We are fighting for our families.”
