The Slovenian government transferred 20 Valuk armored personnel carriers to Ukraine under conditions of complete secrecy.

Slovenian media reported about this with reference to its own sources.

According to the media, the Slovenian government delivered 20 Valuk armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. It is an improved version of the Pandur 6X6 APC. The country had 85 such vehicles in service, which served the Slovenian army for 24 years.

The media could not get official confirmation from the Ministry of Defense, but sources confirmed that the transportation of the equipment to Ukraine was completed this week under conditions of complete secrecy.

The operation lasted several months, because the armored vehicles were being prepared for shipment and transportation. Armored personnel carriers were transported by a C-17 military transport aircraft to one of the European countries bordering Ukraine.

Previously, as part of military aid, Slovenia handed Ukraine 28 M55S tanks, 35 M80A infantry fighting vehicles, and 20 HMMWV army off-road vehicles.

Valuk 6×6 armored personnel carrier

The Valuk armored personnel carrier is an improved version of the SSF Pandur 6×6 armored personnel carrier, manufactured under a license manufacturing agreement with the Austrian company, Steyr, by Sistemska Tehnika of Slovenia for the Slovenian Army.

The standard armored protection of the armored personnel carrier is designed to withstand attacks by 7.62mm caliber armor-piercing cartridges around the perimeter and 12.7mm caliber armor-piercing cartridges in the frontal area. In addition, the armored vehicle can be equipped with a stabilized Overhead Weapon Station supplied by the Rafael Israel Armament Development Authority, which provides protection against 12.7mm armor-piercing rounds over a full 360 degrees.

The crew is protected against anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. The crew compartment is fitted with an automatic fire detection and firefighting system.

The armored personnel carrier has an open turret, which can be armed with a large-caliber machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.

The vehicle weighing 12.3 tons is equipped with a 6-cylinder Steyr WD 612.95 turbo-charged diesel engine. The range of the armored vehicle is about 600 kilometers on the road and 200 to 300 kilometers off-road.

The vehicle accommodates three crew members, as well as six soldiers in the landing compartment.