A new video released by the Ukrainian military shows a convoy of T-72M1 tanks, donated by Poland and other countries, in motion.

Ukraine Weapons Tracker claims that these are T-72M1 and T-72M1R tanks, an export version of Soviet tanks produced since 1969, which have a much simpler fire control system. They were also built under license in Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Tanks sent to Ukraine are equipped with “Kontakt-1” dynamic armor, which provides additional protection against special armor-piercing ammunition.

The administrators of the Ukraine Weapons Tracker page also note that part of the T-72 tanks could have been withdrawn from the reserve of the Armed Forces.

What is known about the T-72 tanks that Ukraine received

In early April, Czech state television showed the first footage of T-72 tanks being transported by rail to Ukraine. The Czech Republic, in addition to Poland, was the second country that handed over such combat vehicles to the Ukrainians.

A few days before the images appeared, Czech Defense Minister Yana Chernokhova said that the Czech Republic was sending “necessary military equipment” to Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on April 25 that Warsaw had sent battle tanks to Ukrainians, but did not specify their models. His statement came at a time when Kyiv has repeatedly called on the West to quickly provide it with more weapons, especially heavy equipment, as Russian troops continue their offensive in the country.

On April 22, Great Britain said it wanted to supply modern tanks to Poland in exchange for Soviet-made T-72s being sent to Ukraine.

“We are considering sending tanks to Poland to help it send some of its T-72 tanks to Ukraine,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during an official visit to India.

And the Bulgarians allegedly sent T-72 tanks to the Ukrainians

But perhaps the most interesting thing is that at the beginning of June, images of the T-72M1 tank captured by the Russian armed forces appeared on social networks. The images caused consternation at the time, as data showed the tank had been refurbished in 1993 by a Bulgarian arms company and had low mileage.

At that time, Bulgaria did not officially declare that it would send tanks or other heavy military equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces.

But this Thursday, the interim government in Sofia, installed to replace the government of former Prime Minister Kyril Petkov, who was dismissed in a vote of no confidence in June, admitted that the latter had been secretly sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine through Poland. .

Petkov’s government claimed that Bulgaria was not supplying arms to Ukraine because of opposition from the Socialist Party, a group considered pro-Russian.

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