Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed today, Thursday, that Russia is being threatened for the second time by German Leopard tanks, adding: “It’s unbelievable,” referring to the Leopard-2 armored vehicles that Berlin promised to provide Kyiv to counter the Russian attack. which the Kremlin master once again compared to the war against Russia Hitler.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, he said Russia’s response to threats will not be limited to armored vehicles alone, noting “We have what we are responding to when the West sent tanks to Ukraine,” adding, “The neo-Nazis have returned for to threaten Russia’s national security.”

“The West wants to fight in Ukraine with the hands of Hitler’s allies by sending Leopard tanks,” he added at the ceremony in Volgograd, the city in the southwest of the country formerly known as Stalingrad.

The Kremlin leader emphasized that Russia is confident in itself and the justice of its strategy and victory, noting that Moscow has many friends around the world.

Since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Putin has called the authorities in Kyiv “neo-Nazis” who are committing “genocide” against the Russian-speaking population in the eastern part of the country.

Kremlin: Russia will intensify the use of its military power

For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements regarding Russia’s possession of what it can respond to Ukraine’s supply of Western weapons, that Russia will expand the use of its military capabilities against the background of Western weapons. deliveries to Ukraine.

Peskov told reporters: “This means that Russia has capabilities, and it will fully use these capabilities to respond during the special military operation to the emergence of new weapons offered by the collective West.”

It is notable that the Battle of Stalingrad (the city’s name has been changed to Volgograd now), which lasted from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, was one of the largest battles of World War II during the German military campaign against the Soviet Union, which changed the course of the war .

Battle tanks from 12 countries

The remarks come as Kyiv secured pledges this month from a group of Western countries to supply the country with tanks to help its forces repel the all-out Russian offensive, with Moscow making huge efforts to achieve gradual progress in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that his country would receive between 120 and 140 tanks in a “first wave” of shipments from a 12-nation alliance.

Putin: The West wants to fight in Ukraine with the hands of Hitler’s allies

“The Tank Alliance now has 12 members,” he said in an online briefing. “I can note that in the first wave of contributions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive between 120 and 140 Western-style tanks.”

Ukraine intends to launch a major counter-offensive to retake large parts of the territory captured by Russia in the south and east of the country.

The US has asked Ukraine to delay those plans until Western military aid arrives.