BERLIN — The German government has authorized manufacturers to send Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine, beginning the process of dispatching offensive armored vehicles to Kyiv and bolstering its military efforts against Russia's invasion.

''I can confirm that an export license has been issued," Germany's government spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, announced Friday.

Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the German government approved the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from industrial stocks earlier Friday.

In January -- under pressure from NATO allies -- Germany agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, a move that Kyiv hopes will be a game-changer on the battlefield.

The decision of leaders from the US and Germany to send contingents of tanks to Ukraine marks a major moment of the nearly year-long war. — CNN