PRAGUE: The Czech Republic will receive 15 tanks from Germany to help replace those sent to war-torn Ukraine, its defense ministry said Wednesday.
The Czech government, a staunch supporter of Ukraine as it struggles to stave off the Russian invasion, has given at least 62 of its tanks to Kyiv since the war began.
Prague has also increased its defense spending and seeks to modernize its army, notably using the German tanks, the first of which are due to be delivered later this year.
“We are replacing structurally obsolete Soviet equipment with new, modern machines that can withstand in the current environment,” Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said in a statement.
The Czech army will receive 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks and one armored “Buffel” tank recovery vehicle, Cernochova said.
She thanked “the German side for being able to appreciate in this way our assistance to Ukraine, which is facing brutal Russian aggression.”
Within the compensation package for Czech deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine, Germany has already gifted Prague 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks and a recovery vehicle.
The Czech government said in June it would also buy up to 77 German-made Leopard tanks in the next few years as part of a joint purchase deal with other European countries to help reduce prices.
Czech army to receive German tanks in Ukraine aid compensation
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Czech army to receive German tanks in Ukraine aid compensation
- The Czech government, a staunch supporter of Ukraine as it struggles to stave off the Russian invasion, has given at least 62 of its tanks to Kyiv
- Prague has also increased its defense spending and seeks to modernize its army
Starting anew: Indonesians in disaster-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass
- Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the disaster wreaked havoc on the island four weeks ago
SOUTH TAPANULI: At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island.
The Angkola Protestant Church, in the hard-hit South Tapanuli district, was festooned on Wednesday with balloons and simple Christmas decorations.
Outside, the street leading to the building was buried under mounds of debris and foliage.
Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the disaster wreaked havoc on the island four weeks ago.
Churchgoer Krismanto Nainggolan said this year’s Christmas service was “different,” even as he noted joy in the bittersweet moment.
“The feelings are mixed. Every word of the pastor’s sermon made us want to cry,” he told AFP after the Christmas mass.
“But the spirit of Christmas... gave us strength,” he added.
Krismanto lost his house in the flooding, while many of his neighbors were killed.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 1,129 people died, and more than 170 others are still missing.
While the annual monsoon season often brings heavy rain to Indonesia, this month’s deluge was among the worst disasters to strike Sumatra since a magnitude-9.1 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami in 2004.
In South Tapanuli, churchgoer Mea Rosmawati Zebua said she had not expected to be able to celebrate Christmas this year.
“In past years, Christmas was a routine. Now, (we are) very grateful because God still gives us the breath of life,” the 54-year-old told AFP.
While Christmas mass is typically held in the evening, the Angkola church moved its service to Wednesday afternoon ahead of rain forecast in the evening, pastor Yansen Roberto Ritonga said.
To prepare for the first service since the disaster, the church had to remove towering heaps of mud that had been washed inside.
Soldiers and police had helped clear the debris and driftwood.
On Wednesday afternoon, a man rang the church’s bell before the pastor’s entrance, marking the start of the mass.
Around 30 worshippers, each of them holding a lit candle, sung Christmas hymns.
Yansen said this year’s Christmas served as a moment of “reflection” for the congregation.
Churchgoer Krismanto said that despite the widespread damage and the personal cost of the disaster, he chose to see it as a new beginning.
“Our hopes depend solely on God because we are now starting over... our lives are starting anew,” he said.
