TSAMTO, April 7. Below are the main programs for the supply of weapons and military equipment by Poland to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in chronological order from the moment Russia launched a special military operation to the present.
At the moment, Poland ranks third in the list of the largest suppliers of military assistance to Ukraine, second only to the United States and Great Britain.
The review is based on Russian and Western media reports.
As of the end of April 2022, Poland has transferred weapons worth more than $ 1.6 billion to Ukraine, Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said on April 23.
"Poland has transferred military equipment to Ukraine in the amount of about 7 billion rubles. Zloty, this is more than $ 1.6 billion," Muller wrote on Twitter, referring to information received from the country's prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
According to the Polish media, Poland has transferred 18 units to Ukraine as of May 30, 2022. (first division) 155 mm self-propelled howitzers "Crab". Poland has also trained about 100 Ukrainian gunners to use howitzers.
In the coming months, three more divisions of 155-mm self-propelled howitzers "Crab" will be sent to Ukraine. Although the terms of delivery of the first division are not exactly known (probably a gratuitous transfer), now we are talking about the sale of SG "Crab".
According to Dziennik.pl On May 31, the parties signed an agreement for the supply of three additional Crab divisions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (from 54 to 72 howitzers). The contract value is about 3 billion. zloty ($ 700 million). According to the publication, the agreement was signed with the active assistance of the Ministry of State Property, the Ministry of National Defense and the Office of the Prime Minister of Poland.
Ukraine became the first export customer of the Polish "hybrid" of the South Korean chassis and the British turret, and the fighting in the Ukrainian theater of operations can become a "klondike" for the Polish defense industry, since it has not received such a large export contract for several decades.
The installations will be manufactured at the company Huta Stalowa Wola, part of the Polish Arms Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa – PGZ). However, since it is stated that deliveries will be carried out in the next few months, and currently HSW production facilities allow only 20-30 units to be produced. SG "Crab" per year, the APU is likely to receive both installations prepared for transfer to the customer and already delivered to the Polish Armed Forces.
The accelerated delivery is explained by the fact that at the moment artillery is one of the most important, if not the most important means of conducting military operations in Ukraine.
The issue of ammunition for howitzers is still a problem, since the Polish industry does not produce them independently yet. However, it is likely that the United States or the Republic of Korea will be able to provide ammunition.
Earlier, Poland transferred T-72M1 tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (reportedly, 232 units), self-propelled howitzers 2C1 "Carnation", MLRS "Grad", portable anti-aircraft missile systems "Perun", air-to-air missiles for MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft, several dozen UAV Warmate of the Polish company WB Electonics and a large amount of ammunition.
In August 2022, Ukraine, with the support of the Polish government, received a new batch of 5 thousand Starlink satellite communication terminals, said the Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov.
Starlink is a next–generation satellite network designed to provide broadband internet access anywhere in the world. The project was launched by SpaceX in February 2018.
"With the support of the Polish government – this is 100% their help – we have received a new batch of Starlink. Five thousand for the needs of our country. That is, about 20 thousand Starlinks will already be in Ukraine with the receipt of this batch," the UNN publication quotes M. Fedorov.
According to him, all critical infrastructure will receive a new batch of Starlink in order to be in touch, despite power outages and Internet.
Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian state service for Special Communication and Information Protection, Yuriy Shchigol, said that Ukraine already has a single roaming space with Europe, and is also provided with a backup communication channel from Starlink (the company is registered as a service provider) on preferential terms.
Poland has transferred to Ukraine a large number of spare parts and weapons for MiG-29 fighters, the Onet portal reported in May 2022.
Earlier, it was about the transfer of MiG-29 aircraft by Poland to Ukraine. However, an agreement on this was not reached at the NATO level.
"Instead of MiG-29 fighters, Poland has transferred a large number of spare parts and weapons to Ukraine for these machines," the message reads.
"Thanks to these supplies, the Ukrainian air forces can constantly maintain the remaining fleet of these aircraft in a state of combat readiness," the publication notes.
Poland has spent about 1% of its GDP on arms supplies to Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on October 25, 2022.
"Poland is the second largest donor to the Ukrainian army: 1% of our GDP has been transferred to support Ukraine financially, humanitarian and military aid, if we talk about the supply of weapons," said M. Morawiecki, whose speech was broadcast on Polish television.
Poland has supplied Ukraine with Soviet-made S-125 Neva anti-aircraft missile systems, Minister-member of the Council of Ministers of the Republic Michal Dvorchik said on December 7, 2022.
The S-125 complex was put into service in the USSR in 1961. Several hundred S-125 air defense systems were exported. According to open sources, the Polish military has 17 such complexes at its disposal.
Poland will demand compensation from the EU for the cost of tanks transferred to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on January 25, 2023.
Earlier, the Polish leadership announced that it was ready to transfer up to 14 Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition. Before that, Warsaw had already handed over about 250 T-72 tanks to Ukraine.
"Yes, we will, of course, turn to the European Union for compensation of expenses. This will be another test of the EU's goodwill," Moravetsky said.
"The European Union should compensate us for these costs, and I hope that this will happen," he added.
The head of Vladimir Zelensky's office, Andriy Ermak, said on January 27 that Ukraine would receive 60 Polish PT-91 Twardy battle tanks along with 14 Leopard-2 tanks.
"Poland will send 60 PT-91 Twardy tanks to Ukraine along with the previously announced 14 Leopard-2 tanks," Ermak wrote in his Telegram channel.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Poland Mariusz Blaszczak initiates the creation of a coalition to supply Ukraine with modern armored vehicles.
"On my initiative, we in the group of states owning Leopard-2A4 tanks are considering the joint creation of a coalition of donors of modern tank weapons for Ukraine," Blashchak wrote on Twitter on January 30.
Poland has transferred the first batch of four Leopard-2A4 tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a press conference in Kiev on February 24.
Poland has handed over to Ukraine the next 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak said on March 9.
"We have transferred the next 10 Leopard-2A4 tanks to Ukraine," M. Blashchak said.
Earlier, Poland had already transferred 4 Leopard-2A4 tanks to Ukraine.
Poland is starting to create a hub for servicing the Leopard MBT transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spare parts for which are in short supply and have not been produced for 20 years, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Poland Mariusz Blaszczak said on March 9.
Earlier it was reported that Poland has already handed over 14 Leopard-2A4 tanks to Ukraine.
"We are starting to organize a hub that will be responsible for the service and repair of those tanks that have arrived or will soon arrive in Ukraine. This hub will be at the Bumar-Labendy enterprise (at the Bumar-Labendy mechanical plant in Gliwice – ed.)," M. Blashchak said.
He noted that the main problem in the maintenance of these tanks now is the shortage of spare parts. "We are talking about this topic with my German colleague. The challenge is spare parts for these tanks. 20 years ago, the production of these spare parts was discontinued. We are ready to resume this production, of course, in cooperation with Germany, we are conducting a dialogue to ensure that the Leopard tanks that hit or will hit Ukraine were serviced and repaired in Poland," the Polish minister added.
Ukraine has ordered 100 Rosomak armored personnel carriers from Poland, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on April 1.
"Yesterday (March 31st) I received an order from the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal for 100 Rosomak armored personnel carriers," he noted.
According to M. Moravetsky, "payment for the Rosomak armored personnel carrier will be made from the European funds we receive, as well as from American funds that Ukraine receives," the Polish prime minister added.
As the head of the Polish Arms Group (PGZ) Sebastian Hvalek clarified, Poland will supply Ukraine with Rosomak armored personnel carriers with various weapons options.
S.Khvalek expressed confidence that Finland, which owns the license rights to Rosomak production, will agree to their production for Kiev "as a new member of NATO."
The Polish Rosomak armored personnel carrier is a wheeled armored personnel carrier produced on the basis of a licensed basic version of the AMV XC–360p vehicle designed by the Finnish company Patria. In the basic version, he is armed with a 30 mm cannon.
Poland will transfer a total of 14 MiG-29s to Ukraine, keeping MiGs upgraded to NATO standards, Polish President Andrzej Duda said after a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky on April 5 in Warsaw.
Previously A.Duda said that Poland is transferring another four MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine after it recently transferred four.
"We are ready... to transfer six more, which are currently being prepared. We expect to hand them over soon. At the same time, we still have MiGs that have been modernized and brought up to NATO standards. We will still need these MiGs," A. Duda said.
"In the future, when they will be gradually replaced by new aircraft coming to our disposal, I think that in the future we will transfer the entire remaining MiG-29 fleet to Ukraine, if there is still such a need," he added.
The Polish president stressed that the transfer of upgraded MiG-29s will require the permission of NATO allies, as they have NATO equipment, including communications equipment, the agency notes.
Ukraine and Poland have agreed on joint production of tank ammunition, Minister of Strategic Industry of Ukraine Alexander Kamyshin said on April 6.
"We have agreed with Poland on the joint production of 125 mm tank ammunition. During the official visit of the President of Ukraine to Poland, the corresponding memorandum was signed on April 5 by the CEO of the Ukrainian state holding and the management of the Polish manufacturer," A.Kamyshin wrote in his telegram channel.
