{"id":19704,"date":"2022-04-06T14:50:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T14:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/?p=19704"},"modified":"2022-04-06T14:50:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T14:50:23","slug":"first-nato-country-czech-republic-sends-tanks-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/2022\/04\/06\/first-nato-country-czech-republic-sends-tanks-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"First NATO country Czech republic sends tanks to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Czech Republic has become the first\u00a0NATO\u00a0country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President\u00a0Zelensky’s plea for help.<\/p>\n

Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles,\u00a0howitzer artillery pieces and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Slovakia where they are expected to head on to Ukraine, footage run by public broadcaster Czech Television showed.<\/p>\n

The delivery is understood to be a gift agreed on by NATO allies, raising fears the trans-Atlantic bloc could be dragged into the Russian war in\u00a0Ukraine\u00a0despite remaining on the sidelines for more than a month.<\/p>\n

NATO leaders have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-craft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or fighter jets.\u00a0Prague’s decision to supply tanks to Kyiv will pile pressure on NATO allies to follow suit.<\/p>\n

It comes as Russian artillery continued to pound the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv today\u00a0as the West prepared more sanctions against Moscow in response to civilian killings that Kyiv and its allies have called war crimes.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President Zelensky’s plea for help (pictured, tanks loaded on a train bound for Ukraine on Tuesday)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Several<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (pictured) and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Ukraine, footage published by Czech Television showed<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The delivery is understood to be a gift agreed on by NATO allies, raising fears the trans-Atlantic bloc could be dragged into the Russian war in Ukraine despite remaining on the sidelines for more than a month<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Five<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Five T-72s and four BMP-1s spotted being moved out of storage and loaded on a train in Czech Republic. They will reportedly head to Slovakia, and possibly then to Ukraine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Czech delivery of T-72s (pictured) has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"NATO<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NATO is set to discuss the delivery of more weapons to Ukraine at a meeting today and tomorrow, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, but the US is widely expected to reject most demands over fears NATO could be pulled into the war<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

What is the T-72 battle tank?<\/h3>\n
\n

First made in Russia, the T-72 is staple of eastern European militaries and is owned by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria.<\/p>\n

Most of these are the T-72M standard model, which are slightly behind Russia’s updated\u00a0T-72B3 versions that have been used in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The Czech Republic has ordered 35 tanks upgraded to\u00a0T-72M4 CZ, giving the tank a comprehensive upgrade in every aspect and costing more than $5million per tank.<\/p>\n

It is understood the tanks Prague has sent to Ukraine are not the T-72M4 but have undergone some local modifications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova told parliament yesterday: ‘I will only assure you that the Czech Republic is helping Ukraine as much as it can and will continue to help by [supplying] military equipment, both light and heavy.’<\/p>\n

She declined to provide further details on the transfer but it comes after\u00a0Ukraine’s Vlodymyr Zelensky demanded NATO deliver armour, fighter jets and other military equipment during a summit in Brussels on March 24.<\/p>\n

Ukraine burns through in a single day the same amount of weaponry it receives in a week, according to a senior Polish official, and Kyiv’s eastern neighbours are concerned with keeping up with demand,\u00a0the\u00a0Wall Street Journal\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n

The Czech delivery has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced kfundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv.<\/p>\n

Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia which has no tanks to give, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment.\u00a0Germany will send several dozen\u00a0infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv and the UK has approved the delivery of 20 ambulances.<\/p>\n

The United States has agreed to provide an additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-armour systems, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. US chipmaker Intel Corp (INTC.O) said it had suspended business operations in Russia, joining a growing list of companies leaving the country.<\/p>\n

NATO is set to discuss the delivery of more weapons to Ukraine at a meeting today and tomorrow, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.<\/p>\n

But western officials on Monday suggested the Biden administration in Washington would act as a throttle on plans to supply more equipment to Ukraine, over fears that the war machines could breach rules allowing only defensive weapons to be supplied.<\/p>\n

One said that the US was ‘not minded’ to support the supply of T-72 tanks of the type used by Ukraine from sympathetic neighbours, adding: ‘They have this offensive dimension, they are not purely defensive. They would not be particularly relevant to the military activities the Ukrainians need to undertake.’<\/p>\n

A proposal to transfer 28 MiG jets from Poland to Ukraine via the US last month was scrapped amid NATO concerns about getting drawn into conflict with Russia.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"NATO<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NATO leaders have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-craft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or fight jets (pictured, Czech tanks on a train bound for Ukraine)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Prague,<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment\u00a0(pictured, Czech tanks on a train bound for Ukraine)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Field<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Field engineers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine stand next to destroyed armoured vehicles on a street in the town of Bucha, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, April 5, 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Serhii<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Serhii Lahovskyi, 26, and other residents carry the body of Ihor Lytvynenko to bury him in Bucha, April 5, 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Soldiers<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Finland and Sweden would be welcomed into NATO if they applied to join, Secretary-General Stoltenberg says \u2013 as Russia warns of retaliation<\/h3>\n
\n

Finland and Sweden would be welcomed into NATO if they applied to join, the head of the alliance has said today, in what would be a major blow for Russia amid Vladimir Putin’s faltering invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO general secretary, told a news conference that the 30-member alliance would work to overcome ‘security concerns’ between the countries applying to join and being ratified – amid fears Russia would retaliate.<\/p>\n

He spoke after Finland’s prime minister Sanna Marin said her country could take a decision on joining the alliance within weeks and polls in Sweden also showed a majority of people support membership.<\/p>\n

If either country opts to join the alliance, it would mark an historic reconstruction of European security architecture that has held since the end of the Second World War.<\/p>\n

Finland, which fought a short but bloody conflict with the Soviets in the build-up to World War Two, has been officially neutral since signing a pact in 1948.<\/p>\n

As part of the pact, Finland agreed never to join a military alliance viewed as hostile to Russia, never to allow its territory to be used for an attack against Russia, and to maintain an armed forces for self-defence purposes only.<\/p>\n

In return, the country – which shares an 830-mile border with Russia – was given guarantees by Moscow that it would not be attacked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NATO has already supplied fuel, ammunition, helmets, protective gear and medical supplies to Ukraine,\u00a0Stoltenberg said yesterday. The discussions come despite the bloc’s desperate efforts to avoid being dragged into Putin’s war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

President Joe Biden\u00a0has in recent weeks ordered more US troops to NATO’s eastern flank to reassure edgy allies and pledged to protect the bloc’s territory if Russian forces stray over more borders.<\/p>\n

A visibly angry Zelensky on March 26 demanded that Western nations hand over military hardware that was ‘gathering dust’ in stockpiles, saying Ukraine needed just one per cent of NATO’s aircraft and one per cent of its tanks.<\/p>\n

Zelensky accused the West of holding back on supplies because of ‘intimidation’ from Moscow and suggested Russia is in charge of NATO.<\/p>\n

And in a late night address on Saturday, Zelensky said: ‘We need more ammunition. We’ve already been waiting 31 days.\u00a0What is NATO doing?<\/p>\n

‘Who is in charge of the Euro-Atlantic community? Is it really still Moscow, because of intimidation? We are asking for one per cent of what NATO has, nothing more.’<\/p>\n

‘If only those who have been thinking for 31 days on how to hand over dozens of jets and tanks had one per cent of their courage,’ Zelensky said as he praised his troops’ efforts.<\/p>\n

Russia’s constant artillery barrages and aerial bombing are reducing Ukrainian cities to rubble, killing thousands of people and driving millions to flee their homes.<\/p>\n

Russian artillery pounded the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv today as the West prepared more sanctions against Moscow in response to civilian killings that Kyiv and its allies have called war crimes.<\/p>\n

The besieged southern port of Mariupol has been under almost constant bombardment since the early days of the invasion that began on Feb. 24, trapping tens of thousands of residents without food, water or power.<\/p>\n

‘The humanitarian situation in the city is worsening,’ British military intelligence said. ‘Most of the 160,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender.’<\/p>\n

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said authorities would try to evacuate trapped civilians through 11 humanitarian corridors today, though people trying to leave the besieged city of Mariupol would have to use their own vehicles.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n