JONAVA, LITHUANIA — Lithuania Defense Services (LDS) has completed repairs on battle-damaged Ukrainian tanks and is preparing to return them to Ukraine. The vehicles include at least one German-made Leopard 2 and one Swedish Strv 122.
The refurbished tanks were presented during a handover ceremony in Jonava. LDS sales and marketing director Vilius Semeška said the exact number of tanks being returned is classified. Images released by the company show at least two refurbished vehicles ready for delivery.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Olha Nikitchenko attended the ceremony and stressed the importance of returning the tanks quickly.
“It is very important to us that the tanks return to the battlefield as soon as possible, because despite the era of drones, armored vehicles remain particularly important and necessary when retaking occupied territories during operations that involve these very same drones.”
German Ambassador to Lithuania Cornelius Zimmermann said Germany is Ukraine’s largest bilateral partner in Europe and that Germany and Lithuania are fully funding the LDS project and the modernization of Ukrainian tanks.
LDS Repair Operations
LDS, a joint venture of Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland, was established in March 2022 to support Lithuanian and NATO forces and their equipment in the Baltic region.
The Jonava facility began repairing battle-damaged Ukrainian Leopard tanks in October 2023. The first pair of refurbished Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks was presented on December 15, 2023. LDS has also repaired PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers and other armored vehicles.
In January 2024, LDS signed a contract with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense to improve spare-parts logistics for German armored vehicles operating in Ukraine.
The facility supports several NATO-standard platforms, including Boxer Vilkas infantry fighting vehicles, PzH 2000 howitzers, the Leopard tank family and tactical transport vehicles. LDS has also signed agreements with Rafael and Rolls-Royce as it expands its range of services.
Ukraine’s Leopard 2 Fleet
Ukraine has received more than 100 Leopard 2 tanks in A4 to A6 variants from Western stocks and industry since 2023. According to open-source tracking by Oryx, as of August 27, 2026, 52 Leopard 2 losses have been visually confirmed, with additional vehicles recorded as damaged, abandoned or captured.
The latest refurbished vehicles will add to Ukraine’s available armored fleet, although LDS has not disclosed how many tanks are included in the current handover.
Lithuania Builds Leopard 2A8 Capability
Lithuania has ordered 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks and is expanding its domestic infrastructure for their assembly and maintenance.
A new production and maintenance complex is being built in the Kaunas Free Economic Zone. Finnish company YIT Lietuva is constructing the approximately 13,000-square-metre facility on a nearly 10-hectare site under a contract worth about €29 million.
Construction began in August 2026 and is scheduled for completion in November 2027. The first tank assembled at the facility is expected in late 2028.
LDS plans to invest around €50 million in the project and create about 100 jobs. The company will handle assembly, long-term maintenance, repair and readiness support for Lithuanian and potentially other NATO forces.
The expansion will give Lithuania additional local capacity for heavy armored equipment while the Jonava facility continues supporting Lithuanian, NATO and Ukrainian systems.
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