Czech Republic Delivering T-72s and BVP-1s

The Czech Republic has initiated the transfer of at least five T-72 MBTs and five BVP-1 IFVs to Ukraine, making it the first European country to transfer AFVs to the beleaguered nation.

Czech TV news reported the deliveries via Twitter on 5 April, with a video showing vehicles loaded onto rail cars. The Czech Defence Minister, Jana Cernochova, would not identify where the vehicles had been sent from, and how they would reach Ukraine, but emphasised that support for Ukraine would continue, both heavy and light.

The deliveries were agreed by NATO members, Reuters reported on the same day, adding that Germany had agreed to the transfer. The IFVs in question were originally owned by East Germany and designated PbV-501. They were transferred to Sweden and then to a private company in the Czech Republic, which is now providing them to Ukraine. Germany approved the transfer of 56 such vehicles, according to the German MoD.

Also, on 1 April, Australia announced its intentions to ship four Bushmaster MRAP vehicles to Ukraine, following an appeal from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The UK has also indicated it could be willing to provide AFVs, and Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said that a call with 35 other nations to coordinate military aid had established the participants were willing to support the provision of armoured vehicles and ammunition for long-range artillery.

These deliveries seem to indicate the first tentative steps towards providing Ukraine with more substantial aid, as opposed to purely tactical equipment in the form of anti-tank weapons and man-portable air defence systems. Both systems sent by the Czech Republic should be fairly simple for Ukrainian personnel to learn and operate, as they are very similar, if not identical, in build to the Ukrainian fleets of T-72s and BMP-1s. Similarly, the Bushmasters are intuitive in their use and will not be significantly unfamiliar to Ukrainian forces.

While the deliveries are likely welcome for Ukraine, they also raise questions. For instance, how many additional tanks does Ukraine need, and are there enough legacy Soviet vehicles in Europe to meet that demand? A significant portion of the ex-Warsaw Pact T-72s in storage since the 1990s have been transferred to Iraq, for example.

There is also the question of how NATO and non-NATO countries will support Ukraine in the months ahead. The initial phase of the operation is over, and it may now shift to a style of warfare that favours Russia’s predominance in long-range capabilities and air power. If Ukraine is to win, it will become increasingly important to ensure it has the capabilities it needs to defeat Russian forces. This may require an investment in training Ukrainian forces to operate new, NATO-standard systems that can be supported over long periods.

Sam Cranny-Evans reporting for MON