Among the equipment Ukrainian Armed Forces have been using as part of their operations in russia’s Kursk region are PT-91 Twardy tanks, a Polish-made modernization of T-72 which were delivered in early 2023.
Notably, Poland did not impose any restrictions on how these tanks could be employed by Ukraine, even in battles on russian soil. As Defense Romania explains, the Polish government has adopted a principle that once a combat unit or weapon is physically transferred to Ukraine, it is no longer Polish property. This means Ukraine has full authority to use the equipment as it deems necessary.
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It is interesting in itself that this policy was stated during discussions between Polish diplomats and Romanian journalists. This suggests that Warsaw's stance on this sensitive issue is not only related to Ukraine's battlefield actions but also holds diplomatic importance for relations between Poland and Romania.
The exact number of PT-91 Twardy tanks currently in use by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region hasn’t been disclosed. However, this is more of a political statement than a tactical game-changer on the battlefield.
Besides, Defense Romania reports do not clarify whether these tanks were deployed immediately from the first days of fighting in the Kursk region or if they were introduced later as the military operation evolved.
Another noteworthy detail of this story is the suggestion by Romanian journalists that Ukraine may have overall received several dozen PT-91 Twardy tanks from Poland, potentially as many as 100, along with 250 T-72M1 tanks.
In light of these statements, it seems that the March 2024 predictions made by Polish observers, which speculated that PT-91 Twardy tanks might be involved in raids by anti-Putin forces on russian territories, were inaccurate after all.
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