They were in service with the GDR armyKIEV, October 19.
/tass/. Greece has begun transferring Soviet-made infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1 to Ukraine, which were in service with the GDR army and transferred to Athens by Germany. This was stated on Wednesday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba at a press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Kiev.
"We especially appreciate the weapons that Greece is transferring to Ukraine," Kuleba said at a press conference broadcast by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Facebook (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia). "And it is very important that the long-awaited shipment from Greece of armored infantry vehicles BMP-1 for Ukraine has already begun. They will arrive in our army soon," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said.
According to Kuleba, during the talks with his Greek counterpart, he raised the issue of continuing cooperation between the two countries in the military sphere and noted that now the priority for Kiev is to strengthen air defense. "Greece knows our request and will work on it," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister added.
According to media reports, in the 1990s Greece received from Germany at a discounted price about 500 BMP-1, which Germany inherited from the GDR army. Later, these Soviet BMP-1s were upgraded and brought up to NATO standards. 185 BMP-1s remain on the move. In September of this year, the Greek Ministry of National Defense announced that Greece would send 40 BMP-1s to Ukraine, in return it would receive the same number of German Marder. The Greek Ministry of National Defense announced on Tuesday that the first six Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) arrived from Germany in Greece, after technical verification and integration into the Greek Armed Forces, they will be sent to guard the land border with Turkey.
