Slovakia said on Wednesday it was ready to “immediately” send its last Soviet T-72 tanks to Ukraine if it could get Western tanks to replace them, Reuters reported.

This was announced by Defense Minister Yaroslav Nad, who stated that “we still have 30 T-72 tanks and we would be ready to send them to Ukraine immediately, even tomorrow, if there was an opportunity to receive Western tanks, Leopard or others.” instead “.

Nad recalled during an online media briefing that Slovakia sent 30 Soviet-made BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukrainian forces last year after reaching an agreement with Germany to receive 15 Leopard 2 tanks in exchange.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz officially announced on Wednesday that his country will send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and will give the green light to partner countries to transfer these German-made tanks to Kyiv.

Several European countries have already expressed their willingness to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukrainian forces, but they need Berlin’s approval, according to NATO’s provisions on arms purchases and transfers.

After the announcement, Jaroslav Nad said Slovakia could not afford to cut its tank forces, but “there is room” for trade.

Ukraine has already received modernized T-72 tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic, which have the great advantage that they are known to Ukrainian tankers. According to estimates, there were about 600 such tanks in Ukraine before the start of the war.

Slovakia has promised military aid to Ukraine

In mid-June of last year, Slovakia announced that it would transfer several Mi-17 helicopters and thousands of Grad missiles to Kyiv.

Previously, Bratislava transferred other military equipment and types of ammunition, including the S-300 air defense system.

The Russian military has repeatedly claimed that its forces destroyed this anti-aircraft system, the only one that Slovakia has, which Bratislava denies.

Slovakia also agreed to sell eight new Zuzana 2 self-propelled mortars to Ukraine and offered to repair them if damaged during hostilities.

In early May, Slovakia announced that it would also repair Ukrainian military equipment damaged by the Russian armed forces.

“The state company Konstrukta – Defense signed a contract with the Ukrainian side for the repair and modernization of Ukrainian military equipment,” Martina Koval Kakashchykova, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defense in Bratislava, said in a press release at the time.

Yaroslav Nad also reported on Wednesday that Ukraine has expressed interest in buying 11 Slovak howitzers and that the contract has already been agreed. The Minister of Defense of Slovakia also noted that his country helps train about 200 Ukrainian soldiers for motorized infantry forces every month.

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