Prime Minister Morawiecki announced that Poland is ready to deliver 60 more modernized tanks and 14 Leopard 2s to Ukraine.
“Right now Poland is ready to deliver 60 modernized tanks, 30 of which are PT-91 models, and 14 Leopard 2s in our possession,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on January 26. Notification.
The announcement was made by Mr. Morawiecki after Germany approved allowing countries using Leopard 2, including Poland, to transfer the main tank model to Ukraine.
Canada on January 26 announced that it would deliver 4 Leopard 2s to Ukraine, Spain said it was ready to provide this main tank. Ukraine believes it needs hundreds of Leopard 2s to repel Russian forces.
Polish PT-91 tanks take part in NATO exercises in Latvia in October 2017. Photo: Reuters.
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Marcin Ociepa said on January 27 that it will take about three months for Leopard 2 tanks to arrive in Ukraine. “It depends on the country we’re talking about, but I estimate it’s going to be about a quarter until those tanks can actually be on Ukrainian territory and go to war,” Ociepa said.
Poland developed the main tank PT-91 based on the model T-72M1 this country produced under license from the Soviet Union. The Polish Army has been in service with PT-91 since 1995, more than 280 units have been shipped, including a new production model and an upgrade from the T-72M1.
PT-91 weighs 45.9 tons, crew of three, is equipped with 2A46 125 mm main cannon, 7.62 mm coaxial gun and 12.7 mm gun. PT-91 can reach a maximum speed of 60 km / h, a range of 650 km or 700 km with an auxiliary oil tank.
Poland started supplying tanks to Ukraine in April 2022, two months after the outbreak of hostilities with Russia. Poland delivered the first PT-91s to Ukraine in July 2022, but the total number is unknown so far.
Nguyen Tien (Theo Reuters)