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Since the initiation of Ukraine\u2019s mass offensive against Russian positions the Ukrainian Army and allied paramilitaries<\/a> have begun to actively deploy new batches of armour received from Western countries, including not only very large numbers of Leopard 1<\/a> and Leopard 2A4 tanks, but also the much more capable Leopard 2A6 which, alongside the British Challenger 2<\/a>, is considered the most capable in the country\u2019s inventory. While Leopard 2A4s have proven highly vulnerable<\/a> in combat with armour protection that is effectively obsolete, as best demonstrated by Turkish use of the vehicles against local militias in Syria and Iraq, the Leopard 2A6 has long been marketed as a much more capable vehicle. Costing close to $8 million per vehicle, advantages of the new variant include use of 3rd generation composite armour, integration of a a longer barrelled and more powerful main gun, installation of additional armour modules on the turret, and use of much improved fire controls. The loss of these tanks, which have widely been considered the most capable in production across the Western world, has significant implications well beyond Ukraine itself.<\/p>\n