Russian shelling damaged a hospital and apartment buildings in Ukraine, local officials said Tuesday, while military analysts expressed skepticism about the potential impact of what Kyiv says is a brewing Moscow offensive around the anniversary of its invasion. “(It) will significantly enhance Ukraine’s military potential for the restoration of their violated territorial integrity,” they said, adding that the delivery would occur “within the coming months” and include logistical support and training. In a joint statement, the defense ministers of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands said the shipment of older Leopard 1 tanks was part of an effort “to support Ukraine in their endeavor to withstand Russian aggression.” READ MORE: Fighting continues in Ukraine as anniversary of Russian invasion nears The announcement Tuesday comes after Germany agreed last month to allow deliveries of the more modern Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The Leopard less so than the Abrams, which is why much of the discussion has focused on it.KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands say they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks. “The drawback of these more-modern tanks is that they are heavy and logistics-intensive, needing a lot of fuel and maintenance. “Giving the Leopard 2 to Ukraine would give them a substantial quality advantage over the Russian army - though because the West couldn’t give thousands of them, there would still be a quantity disadvantage.”

“This newer generation of tanks have much better armor and defensive systems, much more powerful main weapons, and much better sensor suites, which allows them to fire at much longer range.

“Up until now, Ukraine has been using largely Soviet-era Russian tanks that are several generations behind the most modern tanks (such as the Leopard, the American Abrams, or the Israeli Merkava).” David Silbey, associate professor of history at Cornell University and director of teaching and learning at Cornell in Washington, specializes in military history, defense policy and battlefield analysis.

German modern tanks