The Republic of Slovenia will send 28 M-55S tanks to Ukraine, according to a statement published on the government’s website on Monday.
In a telephone conversation, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, “in the spirit of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” agreed that Kiev would receive 28 Slovenian M-55S tanks.
In return, Ljubljana will obtain from Berlin 40 military transport vehicles, including 35 heavy 8×8 hook loaders and five heavy water tankers, the statement reads.
According to it, “the ring exchange will also strengthen defense cooperation between Slovenia and Germany.”
Slovenia’s online newspaper 24 ur reported that the republic would supply to Ukraine tanks, stored by the country’s army.
On June 21, 24 ur reported, citing Slovenian Defense Minister Marjan Sarec, that the republic had sent 35 infantry fighting machines to Ukraine. According to Sarec, those were Yugoslavian-made machines equipped with 20 mm calibre weapons.
M-55S tanks are a modernized version of the Soviet T-55s. Slovenia’s STO RAVNE and Israel’s Elbit Systems upgraded the vehicles with the first M-55 tank completed in 1997 and final deliveries being made to the Slovenian Army in 1999.
