What tanks did Romania send to Ukraine. Did they even see T-55 or T-85m1 bison The Ukrainian front?
Steadfast Dart 25 tactical training exercise in the Smardan Polygon, Galati County, February 19, 2025. Inquam Photos / Eduard Vînătoru
Romania has long kept the secret to the data on the help given to Ukraine in the field of defense, which eventually led to criticism and determined a movement on transparency of military aid, reports Defense Express.
The Minister of Defense, Ionuț Moșteanu, recently said, in an interview with Euronews, that his ministry will request the desecretion of the military aid offered by Romania Ukraine.
“I am personally for transparency. I would transparenize tomorrow if I could. I have to have a discussion and there must be a discussion through the CSAT to decide to desecure the Government decisions, that in fact it is about August 26, on August 26, for Euronews.
Earlier this year, weapons deliveries from Bucharest to Kiev were classified (except Patriot systems), and all information on the transferred weapons was based on photographs or videos from open sources that showed the weapons in the possession of Ukrainian forces.
Finally, Romania acknowledged that this approach was sometimes harmful.
In the same interview, the minister Ionuţ Mărieanu revealed that Romania granted over 20 tranches of military aid.
“I sent there what they needed and what we had available here: from bullets and headphones to patriot tanks and missiles, to simplify things,” said Moșteanu.
But what exactly the Minister of Defense was referred to when he stated that they were sent to Ukraine including tanks?
The tanks in the endowment of the Romanian army
According to Defense Romania, it is difficult to believe that Ukraine tanks were donated, since Romania, at least on paper, has no surplus of tanks.
Currently, the Romanian Army has five tank battalions, three of which are equipped with T-55 tanks, and the other two with T-85 and TR-85M1 bison. Given that Abrams will arrive only next year, it is unlikely that the Romanian Army will consider any of its vehicles as extra.
As for T-72 tanks, they were out of use 20 years ago, so they can probably be useful for spare parts.
Most likely, the minister Ionuț Moșteanu referred to Romanian armored type TAB-71, and not to tanks, which were observed on the Ukrainian front, notes the quoted source.
