Ukraine “combs” the entire planet in search of new military equipment to stabilize the front – Forbes

The article notes that Ukraine is currently “combing” the planet in search of hundreds of spare tanks and combat vehicles.

The journalist drew attention that Croatia is ready to replace its Cold War fleet of tanks and combat vehicles. The Croatian government agreed to sell 30 old M-84 tanks, as well as 30 combat vehicles infantry M-80 of the German government, which will then transfer the equipment to the Ukrainian government. The Croats themselves plan to spend German funds on new German Leopard 2A8 tanks

The 46-ton M-84 tank is the Yugoslav version of the Soviet T-72. The 15-ton BPP M-80 was Yugoslavia’s answer to the USSR-made BMP-1. Hundreds of T-72s and BMP-1s are in operation in the Armed Forces, so they should have no problems with the integration of the M-84 and M-80, the journalist believes.

It is no coincidence that Ukrainian officials recently announced the modernization of the new 156th infantry brigade to a mechanized one.

This unit is one of 14 recently formed brigades numbering 2,000 people. Most of these new army brigades, all numbered from “150”, were originally formed as infantry because the Defense Forces lacked heavy equipment, Ax wrote.

Despite the fact that Ukraine partially provides itself with armored vehicles by modernizing the old ones, Ukrainian troops still need military assistance from abroad, the journalist believes.

Currently, a large number of military vehicles arrive in Ukraine from other countries. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, Kyiv’s allies have promised to supply about 900 tanks and 1,400 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as thousands of light armored personnel carriers and armored trucks. However, Ukraine lost almost as much armored vehicles as it received from other countries, says Ex.

“All of this means that Ukraine may be able to produce enough armored vehicles to keep its aging ground combat brigades — about 100 in total — operational. But it is having difficulty creating equipment for any new brigades it forms,” ​​the journalist writes.

Moreover, giving up the formation of new brigades is not an option. Many old brigades of the Defense Forces have been in continuous combat ever since the invasion of Ukraine by the army of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation in February 2022.

“They (the old brigades — ed.) are tired. And this exhaustion can have dire consequences,” says Eks.

As an example, he cited the 72nd mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which held the defense in the fortress city of Vugledar in southern Donetsk region for two years without significant reinforcements – until it finally retreated on October 1, 2024 under constant attacks from larger Russian formations.

Ukrainian commanders are desperately trying to withdraw the exhausted brigades from the front line. But they are also desperately trying to provide replacement brigades with enough armored vehicles.

The defense forces were assisted by German Leopard 1A5 and Leopard 2A4 tanks, which arrived later, as well as new shipments of military equipment from the United States, France, and Australia.

“With the help of these machines and the former Croatian M-84 and M-80, Ukraine is gradually mechanizing at least nine of these 14 new brigades,” concluded Ex.