Czech Republic Transfers Last T-72M1 Tanks to Ukraine

The Czech Republic has completed the transfer of the last operational T-72M1 tanks to Ukraine.

The Hospodářské noviny media reported on this.

The last tanks of this type were sent to Ukraine in late March – early April 2025, marking the end of their service in the Czech Army.

As noted by the media, the last T-72M1 tanks, about 20 units, were part of the 73rd Tank Battalion, which is now left without heavy armored vehicles and is awaiting Leopard 2 tanks in the future.

“I can only say that there are no T-72M1 tanks left at the base,” a source familiar with the situation in the 7th Brigade shared, speaking to Hospodářské noviny.

After the split of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic inherited a total of 86 T-72M1 tanks, some of which were upgraded to the T-72M4 version, while others remained in the original M1 configuration.

Additionally, some tanks were placed in reserve, where they remained for a significant period, and after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they were brought back into service and transferred to Ukraine.

In a commentary to Militarnyi, the editor-in-chief of the Czech newspaper Armádní noviny, Jan Grochmann, said:

“The question remains what to do with the T-72M4 CZ tanks – they are still very modern, but some of their components are no longer in production, and spare parts cannot be sourced. A total of 30 T-72M4 CZ tanks were modernized. It is unclear how many of them are operational – but it is clear that some had to be cannibalized. That’s why some T-72M1 tanks were withdrawn from storage and transferred to the 73rd Tank Battalion. I believe that sending the T-72M4 CZ to Ukraine doesn’t make much sense. Nor does further modernizing them.”

Currently, the Czech Republic is conducting a large-scale rearmament of its tank fleet. The purchase of German tanks is part of the strategy to strengthen the security of the Czech Republic and modernize its army, during which the country will replace the upgraded Soviet-era T-72M4CZ tanks with Leopard 2A4 and complement them with Leopard 2A8 tanks.

The Ministry of Defense noted that Soviet-era tanks do not meet modern standards, and their modernization is challenging due to structural limitations.

Currently, the Czech Republic is equipping the 73rd Tank Battalion with new tanks, which will eventually meet all NATO standards regarding equipment and the technical capabilities of combat vehicles. The battalion will also include a support platoon, equipped with armored repair and recovery vehicles Buffel, which the Czech Republic is currently receiving from Germany.

As part of the modernization of its armored forces, the Czech Republic has included the purchase of Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks in the list of strategic projects for its national Armed Forces, with deliveries planned between 2027 and 2029.

In addition, in 2022, the Czech Republic placed an order for 28 used Leopard 2A4 tanks, which previously belonged to the Swiss Army but were refurbished by Rheinmetall. Later, the country received an offer to purchase another 14 such tanks from Germany, likely bringing the total number of Leopard 2A4 tanks in the Czech Army to 42 units.

Jan Grochmann comments on the process of renewing the Czech tank fleet:

After years of neglect by Czech politicians – due to the public’s lack of interest in defense matters – the Czech Army now has to undergo a costly, full-spectrum modernization. This puts enormous pressure on the state budget. It is the result of the failure to modernize the army continuously. But here too, we believed in the “end of history” and that the past 35 years were the norm, rather than a historical anomaly.

The Czech Republic is also considering the possibility of localizing the production of Leopard 2 tanks within its territory, which is expected to positively impact the speed of fulfilling export orders in the future. Czech defense companies, including Excalibur Army, will be involved in producing Leopard 2A8 tanks as part of a large European order.