Delays and limited capacity hinder Czech tanks' journey to Ukraine
The Czech press reports that transferring 86 T-72 tanks to Ukraine took over two years. The last 20 tanks reached Ukraine at the beginning of 2025. Analysts from the Ukrainian portal Defense Express are trying to find an answer to the important question: why did the transfer of tanks take so long?
The Czech press reports that at the beginning of 2025, Ukraine received the last 20 T-72 tanks from the Czech Republic. This process began in August 2022 and lasted over two years. These tanks, although produced in the 1980s, were in good technical condition and did not require additional repair work. So why did the transfer take so long?
Problems with modernization
Defense Express points out that, on one hand, the transfer of more tanks to Ukraine is good news because 20 machines will arrive at the front, for which the soldiers do not need additional training. On the other hand, analysts note that the process of transferring the tanks began in August 2022 and lasted over two years.
The last transferred tanks, made in the 1980s, were reported to be in good technical condition, meaning there was no need for additional renovation work. However, it's worth noting that the Czech army will still have 30 T-72M4CZ tanks, which are currently being modernized. This process should be completed by December 31, 2025.
Experts note, however, that modernization will be conducted in a "limited" form. Previously, there were plans to upgrade the chassis and fire control system, but the Czech military will only refurbish the chassis due to issues with delivering parts. Additionally, the Czechs complain that purchasing new Leopard 2A8s is taking a lot of time.
Reasons for delays
Analysts point to two main reasons for the delays in transferring the T-72 tanks. The first relates to the limited capacity of the Czech defence industry in terms of the pace of renovation of the remaining machines. The second potential reason is that the Czech military may have wanted to keep the tanks in storage for as long as possible, maintaining them in the best possible condition.
The T-72M1 machines transferred to Ukraine are second-generation main battle tanks from the Soviet Union era, equipped with an engine producing 780 horsepower. Thanks to this powerful engine, the approximately 40,000-kilogram machine can reach a maximum speed of about 60 kilometres per hour on paved surfaces.
This tank is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore cannon, a 7.62 mm machine gun, and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. Even though enhanced armour was applied compared to the T-72M model, the T-72M1 lags behind in crew protection compared to newer armoured machines, especially those produced in the West.
