Over the past few days, information has emerged that Ukraine received two An-32B transport aircraft from Croatia as military aid. One of these aircraft has already been spotted with the identification marks of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU). This form of assistance is quite unique, as it is the first instance of Ukrainian emergency services receiving Antonov transport aircraft from a foreign country.
But an article by the Army Recognition website claims that Ukraine received a much wider list of military aid from Croatia, including some unusual items.
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It was previously known that Ukraine had received 14 Mi-8 helicopters, 15 M-46 guns of 130mm caliber, and a number of Rak rocket mortars from Croatia.
The article further claims that Croatia has supplied Ukraine with
- 40 D-30 howitzers of 122mm caliber,
- 35,000 Zastava M70 assault rifles,
- 5,000 FN FAL assault rifles; as well as unspecified number of
- anti-tank missiles,
- large-caliber machine guns and rounds for them, and
- Igla and Strela-2 MANPADS.
Croatia also provided Ukrainian soldiers with helmets, body armor, and other protective equipment. Additionally, Croatia allocated funds through the European Defense Agency to purchase 155mm shells for Ukraine.
All these supplies were provided to Ukraine during the years 2022–2023.
Regarding the two An-32Bs, they have an interesting history in the Croatian Air Force. Purchased in 1995, these aircraft were used in numerous deployment missions both domestically and internationally.
In 2009, one of the An-32Bs was struck by lightning while returning from Afghanistan but managed to land without any issues, showcasing the reliability of these transport aircraft. In 2012, both An-32Bs were placed into storage due to a lack of funds for their overhaul.
Since 2014, Croatia had been seeking potential buyers for these planes, but they ultimately ended up being transferred to Ukraine. The An-32B now marked "36 blue" in the SESU previously bore the designation "727" in the Croatian Air Force.
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