Due to a lack of heavy Western weapons, Ukraine receives mostly Soviet-made tanks from Eastern Europe. Slovenia is now supplying 28 battle tanks of the aging T-55 type. However, they modernized the country many years ago. To compensate, it receives vehicles from Germany.
Slovenia has handed over 28 Soviet M-55S main battle tanks to Russia-attacked Ukraine. This was reported by the Slovenian news portal “24ur.com”, citing the Ministry of Defense in the capital Ljubljana. The tanks were brought to Ukraine by rail via Poland. The EU and NATO partner country Slovenia will now receive 43 heavy military trucks from Germany as part of a so-called ring exchange.
Under such agreements, Central and Eastern European allies deliver Soviet-made weapons to the Ukraine and receive military equipment from Germany in return. Soviet-made weapons are easier for Ukrainian soldiers to use than Western-made equipment, which is new to them. Slovenia had already delivered 35 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in July.
The M-55S is a thoroughly modernized version of the Soviet T-55 main battle tank. It is equipped with a new, more efficient gun, an improved engine and state-of-the-art targeting electronics. Experts speak of a completely different combat vehicle than the original T-55.
Slovenia was part of socialist Yugoslavia until 1991, which at that time was falling apart in a series of bloody wars. The armed forces of Yugoslavia had relied heavily on Soviet weapon systems for their equipment. Slovenia had started modernizing the T-55 tanks it secured from those stocks in the 1990s.
