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​In Addition to M-55S Tanks, M-80A IFVs, Slovenia Could Also Transfer 200 Zastava Anti-Aircraft Guns to Ukraine

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Yugoslavia-made the Zastava M55 20mm triple-barreled automatic anti-aircraft gun / Illustrative photo from open sources
Yugoslavia-made the Zastava M55 20mm triple-barreled automatic anti-aircraft gun / Illustrative photo from open sources

The Slovenians can boast of quite powerful supplies for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Analysts of the Oryx portal, based on data from open sources, summarized the known amount of military aid provided by Slovenia to Ukraine. It is difficult to call this country as a great military power while its armed forces number only 6,400 "bayonets", the ground forces include only two mechanized and one logistic brigades, and two mountain infantry battalions. But in practice, it turned out that Slovenia had a significant stockpile of arms of Yugoslav and domestic production, part of which was transferred to strengthen the Ukrainian military.

In particular, Slovakia handed over 28 M-55S tanks to Ukraine. These vehicles differs by dynamic armor protection by Elbit Sistem as well as 105-mm L7 cannon. The tanks were modernized in 1999.

Read more: Denmark Likely to Send F-16 to Ukraine, US Approval Required – Minister of Defense
In Addition to M-55S Tanks, M-80A IFVs, Slovenia Could Also Transfer 200 Zastava Anti-Aircraft Guns to Ukraine, Slovenian M-55S tank, Defense Express
Slovenian M-55S tank / Photo from open sources

The transfer of the Slovenian M-55S tanks took place under a "Ring exchange" from Germany, the initial purpose of which was more ambitious - to "exchange" the Slovenian M-84, a Yugoslav copy of the T-72, to enforce the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, in the summer of 2022, it became known that Slovenia transferred to Ukraine 35 the M-80A type restored infantry fighting vehicles removed from storage, which in some ways can be called a "Yugoslav copy" of the BMP-2 IFV. The Slovenian M-80A is distinguished by the fact that it is armed with a 20-mm automatic cannon and is equipped with an engine of the HS-115-2 type, which was manufactured in France under license from the Spanish HISPANO-SUIZA.

In Addition to M-55S Tanks, M-80A IFVs, Slovenia Could Also Transfer 200 Zastava Anti-Aircraft Guns to Ukraine, Yugoslavia-made M-80A IFV, Defense Express
Yugoslavia-made M-80A IFV / Illustrative photo from open sources

In April 2023, it also became known that Slovenia transferred 20 Valuk armored vehicles to Ukraine, which were manufactured under license on the basis of the Austrian Pandur armored vehicle. This situation is interesting in that the delivery could only take place if there was permission for re-export from formally neutral Austria.

The most interesting thing is that Oryx researchers believe that it was Slovenia that was the supplier of Zastava M55 and M75 automatic anti-aircraft guns in the fall of 2022, and that at the same time, as many as 200 anti-aircraft guns of these types could have been delivered. The guns were necessary, in particular, to fight against russia’s Iranian-made Shahed-136/ 131 kamikaze drones.

Valuk armored personnel carriers, In Addition to M-55S Tanks, M-80A IFVs, Slovenia Could Also Transfer 200 Zastava Anti-Aircraft Guns to Ukraine, Defense Express
Valuk armored personnel carriers / Photo: Slovenska vojska

Oryx analysts also believe that Slovenia transferred to Ukraine 6 American-made M101 howitzers, 8,000 anti-tank mines as well as a certain number of Zastava M70 assault rifles (a local copy of the Kalashnikov assault rifle). But it is not yet possible to confirm or deny these data based on open sources.

Read more: ​The Armed Forces of Ukraine Have Whole Tank Company of Captured T-80 Tanks