Slovakia is currently ready to transfer three dozen T-72 tanks to Ukraine in exchange for Western-made main battle tanks.

Jaroslav Naď, Minister of Defense of Slovakia, shared this during a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center.

According to the Minister, the Republic currently has 30 T-72 tanks in service, and Slovakia is ready to hand them over to Ukraine if the Western allies provide a replacement for this heavy armored vehicle.

“In the summer of 2022, we agreed with Germany that we will be able to transfer 30 BMPs to Ukraine in exchange for 15 Leopard tanks. In December 2022, we received only one tank.

We expect to receive 2 more tanks in March, and we will be receiving them every month until all of them arrive,” Naď said.

At the same time, there is no mention of the transfer of German-made Leopard tanks from Slovakia to Ukraine.

However, the Minister of Defense noted that Slovakia has three dozen Soviet-made T-72 tanks in service.

“We are ready to hand them over to Ukraine even tomorrow, provided we receive the necessary support from the Western countries,” Jaroslav Naď said.

As reported in November of last year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces received 30 BMP-1 tracked infantry fighting vehicles from Slovakia.

The transferred equipment came from the so-called mobilization stocks. This included BMP-1s that are no longer used by the Slovak army.

Recently, Ukraine received the 8th Zuzana 2 self-propelled gun from Slovakia. This is the last self-propelled gun that Ukraine ordered in June last year.

Slovakia can also provide Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets. Jaroslav Naď, Minister of Defense of Slovakia, claimed: “Since October 1, 2022, Slovakia no longer uses the MiG-29. We are ready to transfer these planes to Ukraine so that it can defend itself, and we are not going to transfer them to anyone else. Now, the issue of transferring these planes is being considered by the Slovak government.”