First NATO country sends tanks to Ukraine, Czech Republic provides tanks to Ukraine

First NATO country sends tanks to Ukraine: Czech Republic provides tanks to Ukraine

The Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President Zelensky's plea for help.

Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, howitzer artillery pieces and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Slovakia where they are expected to head on to Ukraine, footage run by public broadcaster Czech Television showed.


The delivery is understood to be a gift agreed on by NATO allies, raising fears the trans-Atlantic bloc could be dragged into the Russian war in Ukraine despite remaining on the sidelines for more than a month.

NATO leaders have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-craft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or fighter jets. Prague's decision to supply tanks to Kyiv will pile pressure on NATO allies to follow suit.

It comes as Russian artillery continued to pound the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv today as the West prepared more sanctions against Moscow in response to civilian killings that Kyiv and its allies have called war crimes.

The Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President Zelensky's plea for help (pictured, tanks loaded on a train bound for Ukraine on Tuesday)

Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (pictured) and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Ukraine, footage published by Czech Television showed

The delivery is understood to be a gift agreed on by NATO allies, raising fears the trans-Atlantic bloc could be dragged into the Russian war in Ukraine despite remaining on the sidelines for more than a month

Five T-72s and four BMP-1s spotted being moved out of storage and loaded on a train in Czech Republic. They will reportedly head to Slovakia, and possibly then to Ukraine

The Czech delivery of T-72s (pictured) has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv

NATO is set to discuss the delivery of more weapons to Ukraine at a meeting today and tomorrow, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, but the US is widely expected to reject most demands over fears NATO could be pulled into the war



                              Czech Republic supply T-72 tanks and armoured vehicles to Ukraine

What is the T-72 battle tank?

First made in Russia, the T-72 is staple of eastern European militaries and is owned by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

Most of these are the T-72M standard model, which are slightly behind Russia's updated T-72B3 versions that have been used in Ukraine.

The Czech Republic has ordered 35 tanks upgraded to T-72M4 CZ, giving the tank a comprehensive upgrade in every aspect and costing more than $5million per tank.

It is understood the tanks Prague has sent to Ukraine are not the T-72M4 but have undergone some local modifications.



Crew: Three people

Main gun: 125 mm smoothbore



Anti-tank guided missile: 9M119 Svir or 9M119M Refleks

Machine guns: 1 x 7.62 mm, 1 x 12.7 mm

Weight: 45 tons

Length (including gun): 9.53 metres

Width: 3.46 metres

Height: 2.2 metres

Top speed: 37 to 47mph






Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova told parliament yesterday: 'I will only assure you that the Czech Republic is helping Ukraine as much as it can and will continue to help by [supplying] military equipment, both light and heavy.'

She declined to provide further details on the transfer but it comes after Ukraine's Vlodymyr Zelensky demanded NATO deliver armour, fighter jets and other military equipment during a summit in Brussels on March 24.

Ukraine burns through in a single day the same amount of weaponry it receives in a week, according to a senior Polish official, and Kyiv's eastern neighbours are concerned with keeping up with demand, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Czech delivery has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv.

Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia which has no tanks to give, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment. Germany will send several dozen infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv and the UK has approved the delivery of 20 ambulances.

The United States has agreed to provide an additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-armour systems, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. US chipmaker Intel Corp (INTC.O) said it had suspended business operations in Russia, joining a growing list of companies leaving the country.

NATO is set to discuss the delivery of more weapons to Ukraine at a meeting today and tomorrow, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

But western officials on Monday suggested the Biden administration in Washington would act as a throttle on plans to supply more equipment to Ukraine, over fears that the war machines could breach rules allowing only defensive weapons to be supplied.

One said that the US was 'not minded' to support the supply of T-72 tanks of the type used by Ukraine from sympathetic neighbours, adding: 'They have this offensive dimension, they are not purely defensive. They would not be particularly relevant to the military activities the Ukrainians need to undertake.'

A proposal to transfer 28 MiG jets from Poland to Ukraine via the US last month was scrapped amid NATO concerns about getting drawn into conflict with Russia.

NATO leaders have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-craft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or fight jets (pictured, Czech tanks on a train bound for Ukraine)

Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment (pictured, Czech tanks on a train bound for Ukraine)