Traditions are the first known time a foreign country has supplied tanks to Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has repeatedly called for Western military support for the Russian offensive. Czech officials said the country had been supplying Ukraine with a range of equipment, including Soviet-designed T-72 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers and shells in Ukraine for several weeks. “We believe this is the only thing that can stop Russian forces from committing more atrocities,” said a senior Czech defense official, adding that tank deliveries so far have been gifts, not sales. Five T-72 tanks and five infantry vehicles were sent to the latest mission, which came to light after photos were posted on social media. A second Czech official said the country was also in initial talks to provide other types of assistance, including assistance in servicing Ukrainian heavy ground equipment at facilities in the Czech Republic.

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Are you from Ukraine? Do you have friends and family in or from Ukraine whose lives have been disrupted? Or maybe you’re doing something to help these people, such as raising funds or housing people in your homes. We want to hear from you. Tell us through a short survey. After more than a month of fighting, the Ukrainian armed forces were able to largely repel the Russian attack and prevent the invading force from occupying the capital Kyiv. In recent days, Russia has withdrawn its forces from the area around Kyiv. However, Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow is refocusing its attack on the Donbas region, the second city of Kharkiv and other areas in the east. Repeated calls for further Western military assistance. Many NATO countries have provided Ukraine with defense equipment. However, they are largely reluctant to send offensive weapons for fear of escalation. “There is no pressure from NATO[to supply weapons]. . . “This is really an example of a sovereign decision by a sovereign state,” said Julian Smith, the US’s representative to NATO, when asked on Tuesday about the Czech move, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Prior to the collapse of the USSR, Czechoslovakia was an important part of the Eastern Bloc’s defense industry, providing it with the know-how that recently enabled it to play a role in supplying equipment to Ukraine.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank based in London, the Czech Army has 30 T-72M4CZ tanks, which are upgraded versions of the Russian T-72, and had an additional 89 T-72 tanks in storage. beginning of the year. It also has the ability to reposition and repair Soviet-era military equipment used by the Ukrainian armed forces. “The Czechs have created a small Soviet-era weapons refurbishment and modernization industry,” said Henry Boyd, a military analyst at IISS. A spokesman for the Czech Ministry of Defense said the country had been sending military equipment to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, but declined to comment on the content for “operational security reasons”. “We are constantly trying to find more suitable equipment to continue with the military assistance,” the spokesman said. Additional report by Henry Foy in Brussels