However, this MBT, right from the signing of the purchase contract, has continuously encountered problems, the first is the translation of technical documents discovered by a third party with a salary of up to 200 million Zloty (equivalent to VND 200 million). $2.6 million), an “exorbitant” price. But the overhead is nothing compared to the money these Leopard 2PLs have taken from the Polish defense budget. It should be recalled that in 2002, Warsaw signed a contract to buy 128 Leopard 2A4s from the German Army, the above MBTs are 25 – 27 years old and the technical condition is assessed quite well. Poland believes that the above-mentioned tanks have only worn 25-30% and can be used normally for at least 10 more years, but from the time they received the tanks until the overhaul in 2011, they just been on the payroll for more than 5 years. In addition to the components with high wear and tear such as the gun barrel, the transmission system, during the overhaul, Poland discovered many problems such as the thermal imager of the gunner and the commander and many components of the system. Fire control is almost out of service. The irony is that these devices have long been out of production, so the Polish Army decided to comprehensively upgrade the Leopard 2A4 tanks to the Leopard 2PL standard. The main battle tank Leopard 2PL of the Polish Army The upgrade package focuses on the viewfinder, front armor, bodywork and undercarriage. However, the addition of steel plates to the chassis to prevent mines was removed because it would increase the weight to 59.5 tons equivalent to Leopard 2A5, which required reinforcement of the suspension system, leading to an increase in costs. The upgrade package also requires replacing the hydraulic cannon stabilization system with electricity, reducing the possibility of the vehicle burning when the vehicle is hit, adding a reversing camera and an auxiliary electric motor. There is also an expansion pack, which includes upgraded communication equipment, integrated remote control machine gun turret, air conditioning for the crew, heatsink for the electronics. The general requirement is that the cost of the Leopard 2PL after the upgrade is only half that of the Leopard 2A6. After many biddings, finally the contract to upgrade 128 Leoaprd 2A4 vehicles was signed in 2015, the main contractor is a Polish company with a German partner, the deadline for completing the work is in 2020. The upgrade contract value is up to 575 million USD, which calculates that each tank requires 4.5 million USD in modernization money, not to mention the initial purchase cost, which is more expensive than the production T-90M Proryv-3 Brand new from Russia.

Armored tank force of the Polish army – illustrations documentary.

On April 16, Russian media reported that a Polish army-level officer announced Russia’s “plan of aggression” against European countries.

The Topwar site said this was “another attack on Russia from Poland”. Earlier, a series of media in Ukraine had reported that the Polish army accused the Russian army of “aggression” that Moscow was “a threat” to a safe and stable Europe.

“The West’s hysteria over the maneuvering of Russian troops, believed to be on the Ukrainian border, has yet to stop.

The Commander of the Operations Command of the Polish Armed Forces, General Tomasz Piotrowski, has been involved in accusing Russia of “aggression”.

Mr. Tomasz Piotrowski was the one who announced Moscow’s “aggression plans” concerning Europe “safe” and promised to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces “- Topwar wrote.

According to the Ukrainian press, General Tomasz Piotrowski made such a promise in a telephone conversation with the Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Unification Force, Sergei Naev.

Polish army – documentary photo.

During the phone call, the Ukrainian general informed the Polish side of the current situation at the border with Russia, and also talked about the measures taken by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to “not allow the Russian army to enter. to be European ”.

According to the Ukrainian commanding officer, Kiev is considering a number of options for the development of the situation and has been fully prepared to “contain the enemy.”

In response, Polish General Tomasz Piotrowski expressed his support as well as the Minister of Defense and the President of Poland for Kiev. Mr. Tomasz Piotrowski promised to continue assisting Ukraine on the path of joining NATO.

Earlier, according to Topwar, many people may have expressed support for Kiev over the background of the “Russian threat”.

But, all was just words, for no one would fight for Ukraine, not Poland “against Russia”, nor the “free republics” of the Baltic states, nor the United States. together with NATO will directly do as promised.

“Yes, you can do it at least ten times a day. Poland can also supply weapons. But no one has the desire to send his army to the Donbass battlefield “- the Russian newspaper sarcasm.

Bodium Castle in Sussex, (England) was built by a knight in 1385 to house the family. After the family of the knights had no lineage, Bodium changed hands several times and by the 17th century was abandoned. In 1925, the castle was restored. Photo: Reuters.

Jal Mahal Palace in Jaipur (India) looks like it is floating in an artificial lake. But in fact, up to 4 floors of this building sunk below the surface of the lake. Initially, it was built in the 16th century as a royal motel for hunting. The construction of the dam and the expansion of the lake near this area made Jal Mahal quickly submerged in the water. There is information that Jal Mahal will be renovated to become a restaurant. Photo: Reuters.

Leh Palace in Ladakh (India) was built from mud, wood, sand, and stone in 1553. With 9 floors, Leh is the residence of the royal family on the upper floors, and the stables, houses Warehouse is located on lower floors. In the 19th century, Leh was invaded and abandoned since then. Photo: Getty.

The Sans Souci Palace in Milot (Haiti) was completed in 1813, and became the king of King Henri Christophe until his death in 1820. Sans Souci was dubbed the “Versailles of the Caribbean”. The palace was severely damaged and could not be repaired after the earthquake in 1842. Photo: Getty.

Duckett’s Grove Castle in Carlow (Ireland) was built in the 1700s, serving the Duckett family. This Gothic-style building was burned by fire in 1933. Photo: Flickr.

Pidhirtsi Palace in Lviv (Ukraine) was built in the 17th century to serve Polish army generals. It later became a hospital during World War II. Pidhirtsi was abandoned shortly after the end of the war. Photo: Shutterstock.

Grand Hotel de la Foret in Corsica (France) was built in 1893, this used to be a luxury hotel with tennis courts. After World War II, this hotel had difficulty attracting visitors again, so it was abandoned. Photo: Shutterstock.

Villa de Vecchi in Cortenova (Italy) was built in the 1850s to house the family of Felix de Vecchi – commander of the Italian National Guard. According to rumors, the commander’s wife was murdered in this palace, his daughter mysteriously disappeared, causing him to commit suicide, and the house was haunted. It was abandoned forever in the 1960s because no one dared to buy it. Photo: Flickr.

This marble Swannanoa Palace in Virginia (USA) was built in 1912 by James Dooley, an American railroad director. The highlight of the building is the stained glass panels designed and arranged by 300 artisans. When the Dooleys died in the 1920s, Swannanoa was transformed into a country club and by 1980 was abandoned. Today, it is a tourist destination and a wedding venue. Photo: Shutterstock.

Sammezzano Castle in Leccio (Italy) has a total of 365 rooms, built in 1605 by the Spanish nobility. After World War II, the building became a luxury hotel. By the 1990s, Sammezzano was abandoned. Photo: Getty.

Gbadolite Palace in Nsele (Congo) was once a small village, before it was turned into “Palace of Versailles by the green forest” by former President of Congo – Mobutu Sese Seko -. The whole project includes a club, a hotel and an international airport. After the government was overthrown in 1997, Mobutu Sese Seko fled to Morocco, and Gbadolite was officially abandoned. Photo: Getty.