The Czech Republic has officially completed the transfer of its last remaining Soviet-era T-72M1 tanks to Ukraine, marking a significant milestone in both its national defense transformation and its staunch military support for Kyiv amidst Russia’s war of aggression. This development not only underlines the Czech Republic’s commitment to assisting Ukraine’s defense but also represents a critical pivot away from legacy Soviet-designed military hardware towards NATO-standard equipment.
According to a recent investigation by the Czech daily Hospodářské noviny (HN), the final batch of T-72M1 tanks departed Czech soil for Ukraine in late March or early April 2025. This transfer concludes a years-long effort to gradually phase out outdated Cold War-era armoured systems from Czech Army service.
Czech defense sources confirmed to HN that the last units of the T-72M1 main battle tanks were loaded and shipped to Ukraine earlier this year. “There isn’t a single T-72M1 left on the base,” one military insider told the newspaper, referring to the main storage and training facilities of the 73rd Tank Battalion within the 7th Mechanized Brigade.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Czech Army’s inventory included 86 T-72M1 tanks. Many of these were drawn from long-term storage to supplement frontline units, especially as the Czech Army struggled with aging equipment and modernization delays.
Now, all those tanks are in Ukrainian hands — a gift not only of firepower but also of symbolism. The transfer illustrates Prague’s complete strategic divorce from its Soviet military legacy.
For Ukraine, the Czech T-72M1s provide much-needed reinforcement in an increasingly attritional war where armoured vehicles and tanks remain essential for both offensive and defensive operations.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces, especially its mechanized brigades, continue to face severe equipment losses due to sustained Russian missile, drone, and artillery attacks. Replenishing their tank fleet is vital as Ukraine prepares for defensive actions in the east and potential counteroffensives.
Prague’s tank donation fits into a wider pattern of Central and Eastern European NATO members sending Soviet-era gear to Ukraine — equipment that Ukrainian soldiers are already familiar with, allowing for rapid deployment without the need for lengthy retraining.
In exchange for its support to Ukraine, the Czech Republic has been gradually receiving modern German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks, primarily from German surplus stocks. So far, Prague has taken delivery of about 15 Leopard 2A4s, but this represents only a fraction of its future armored force structure.
These Leopard 2A4s, originally operated by Germany and Switzerland, arrived as part of a compensation deal negotiated with Berlin to offset Czech military aid to Ukraine. However, the transition has not been entirely smooth.
HN reports that some of these Leopard tanks were delivered without vital safety systems, including crew-compartment fire suppression equipment — a critical omission, given the risks of modern tank warfare where fires inside the vehicle can be fatal.
Czech engineers and military technicians have been working to retrofit these systems domestically. Moreover, communications gear within the Leopard 2A4s remains under review, as interoperability with NATO systems is a strategic priority for Prague.
While the Leopard 2A4s serve as an interim solution, the Czech Republic’s ultimate goal is the acquisition of 77 Leopard 2A8 tanks — one of the most advanced variants of the German tank family — under a long-term modernization contract worth an estimated 52 billion CZK (approximately $2.3 billion USD).
Deliveries of these Leopard 2A8s are scheduled to continue through 2026, providing the Czech Army with a next-generation tank fleet capable of integrating seamlessly into NATO’s operational frameworks.
This deal reflects not only military modernization but also Prague’s deepening defense partnership with Germany — part of a broader trend within Central Europe of aligning more closely with Western European defense industry giants.
However, the fate of the Czech Army’s other tank fleet — the domestically upgraded T-72M4CZ — remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Thirty of these tanks, heavily modified with Western electronics and fire control systems in the early 2000s, are technically still in Czech Army inventory. Yet many of them have fallen into disrepair or have been sidelined due to maintenance issues and spare part shortages.
A billion-crown ($43 million USD) overhaul project intended to restore the T-72M4CZ fleet to operational readiness has suffered significant delays. HN notes that critical fire control system components — essential for the tank’s combat effectiveness — have yet to be delivered.
Repeated inquiries from Czech media outlets to the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces about the status of the project have reportedly gone unanswered for months, fueling speculation about whether these tanks will ever return to service or be mothballed indefinitely.
The tank deliveries form part of a much wider package of Czech military assistance to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.
Czech arms transfers to Ukraine have included hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery systems, infantry fighting vehicles, ammunition, and even Mi-24 attack helicopters. This flow of weaponry has been crucial in allowing Ukraine to maintain its defensive posture against a vastly larger Russian army.
Prague has also been instrumental in organizing pan-European efforts to supply Ukraine with ammunition, including spearheading procurement initiatives for 155mm artillery shells — a key consumable in the current war.
The Czech defense industry, with its long-standing expertise in Soviet-designed weapons and munitions, has played a critical role in keeping Ukraine’s older systems operational.
By transferring the last of its T-72M1s to Ukraine, the Czech Republic is turning a definitive page in its defense history.
Like many post-Communist militaries in Eastern Europe, the Czech Armed Forces inherited a large stockpile of Soviet-era equipment after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. For years, budgetary constraints delayed efforts to modernize or replace this gear.
But the war in Ukraine — and the rising threat from Russia — has forced an acceleration of defense reforms across the region. Prague’s tank transfers are part of a larger NATO strategy to replace old Soviet equipment in member-state inventories with modern Western systems.
This has several advantages:
- Strengthening Ukraine’s military capacity in the short term.
- Reducing logistical complexity within NATO by standardizing equipment.
- Stimulating the Czech defense industry through offset contracts and domestic upgrades.
Despite these modernization efforts, the Czech Army still faces challenges in building a fully NATO-compatible armoured force.
The current mixed fleet — involving Leopard 2A4s, aging T-72M4CZs, and future Leopard 2A8s — presents logistical and maintenance difficulties. Spare parts, ammunition compatibility, crew training, and tactical doctrines all need harmonizing.
Additionally, reliance on German tank production raises concerns about delivery timelines and industrial bottlenecks, especially as other European countries scramble to modernize their own forces.
There is also the open question of how quickly Czech industry can adapt to support the new Leopard tank fleet, both in terms of maintenance and local production of spare parts.
Nevertheless, Prague’s strategic intent is clear — aligning firmly with NATO, supporting Ukraine’s defense, and transitioning towards a modern, Western-standard military.
Czech political leadership, under Prime Minister Petr Fiala, has been unambiguous in its support for Ukraine, viewing its defense as intrinsically linked to European security.
By sending its last T-72M1 tanks to Ukraine, the Czech Republic has both helped a beleaguered ally and made a definitive statement about its own future — one that leaves the Soviet past firmly behind.
As the Leopard 2A8 deliveries ramp up and the Czech Army restructures its armoured units for the challenges of 21st-century warfare, the country’s strategic transformation is far from over.
But one thing is now certain: the era of the Soviet T-72 in Czech service has come to a close — not with quiet decommissioning, but in the crucible of a European battlefield where Ukraine continues to fight for its survival.
