Image source: topwar.ru
Greece supplied Ukraine with infantry fighting vehicles from the presence of its own armed forces, as well as ammunition. This was stated by Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos.
The head of the Greek military department spoke at the conference of the contact group on Ukraine, where he boasted about the latest arms supplies to the Zelensky regime. According to him, Greece has recently transferred 20 BMP-1s from the presence of the army and ammunition to the APU, Panagiotopoulos did not provide details on them. He also promised to continue supporting Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia, but refused to transfer Leopard 2 tanks. Greece immediately stated that they needed heavy armored vehicles themselves, they would modernize and continue to ensure the security of the state against the background of the confrontation with Turkey.
According to the statement of the Greek minister, infantry fighting vehicles were delivered to Ukraine as part of a round-robin deal with the participation of Germany. In total, the Greeks had to send Kiev 40 Soviet-style infantry fighting vehicles, receiving in return the same number of German Marder infantry fighting vehicles. To date, the Greeks have received 14 German armored vehicles, six more are due to arrive in the near future. The remaining 20 will arrive in the second half of this year. So, Ukraine will receive another 20 BMP not soon, the tight-fisted Greeks do not want to send equipment "under promises", the exchange is "bash on bash".
To date, about a little more than a hundred Soviet-style infantry fighting vehicles remain in service with the Greek Armed Forces, given that some of them have already gone to Ukraine.
As already reported, the BMP-1s were received by Greece in the early 90s after the unification of Germany and the disbandment of the National People's Army of the GDR. Then the Greeks got 500 infantry fighting vehicles produced under a Soviet license at East German enterprises. Before the transfer, the IFVs were brought up to European standards: new radio stations, smoke grenade launchers, as well as turn signals, rear-view mirrors, etc. were installed on them. At the same time, the outdated 9K11 "Malyutka" anti-tank complexes were dismantled, and instead of them, 12.7 mm M2NV machine guns began to be installed on the towers in Greece. Instead of turrets with 73-mm 2A28 guns, 23-mm ZU 23-2 were installed on parts of the vehicles.
