Slovakia is ready to send 30 T-72 tanks to Ukraine “immediately” provided it can receive Western tanks to replace them, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Wednesday. Nad told an online media briefing in Ukraine’s Odesa that Slovakia had sent 30 Soviet-era BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine last year after agreeing that Germany would deliver 15 Leopard 2 tanks to Slovakia to take their place.
“We still have 30 T-72 tanks and would be ready to send them immediately to Ukraine, even tommorrow, if there would be an option to receive Western tanks – Leopards or any other in exchange,” Nad said. Ukraine has called for months for Western main battle tanks that would give its forces greater firepower to reclaim its territory occupied by Russia.
On Wednesday Germany cleared the way for Europe to send scores of battle tanks to Ukraine in a step praised by Kyiv as a potential turning point in the war. According to Nad, Slovakia would need about 43 tanks based on NATO criteria and would have a total of 45 tanks once it receives 15 Leopard tanks from Germany.
Bratislava has so far received one Leopard tank and expects to receive two per month starting from March, he said. “There is no space for decrease in Slovakia but there is space for exchange,” he said.
Slovakia last year also delivered eight Zuzana howitzer artillery pieces to Ukraine and is working to produce an additional 16 of the guns which would be paid for by Denmark, Germany and Norway. Nad said the Ukrainian government had expressed an interest in buying an additional 11 of the howitzers and a contract had been negotiated. Slovakia also helps Ukraine to train its soldiers. He said the country was helping to train about 200 Ukrainian soldiers for mechanised infrantry each month starting last October.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
