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Example of a T-72 tank photographed in eastern Ukraine
Photo: Miguel Medina / AFP
Czechs have apparently crowdfunded to buy a modernized Soviet-era T-72 tank - the tank is soon to be delivered to the Ukrainian army to help defend against the Russian invasion.
This was announced by a Ukrainian government official.
The crowdfunding drive, led by the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague, has raised 33 million kroner ($1.5 million) from 11,288 donors as of Monday, according to the campaign's website.
"The Czech Republic is the first country where ordinary people bought a tank," Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis said on Twitter.
The tank, a T-72 Avenger, has been modernized to improve its protection systems and has been fitted with modern night vision and communications equipment.
According to earlier reports, behind the fundraiser is entrepreneur Dalibor Dědek's "A Gift for Putin" campaign, which has been collecting money for Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, with various campaigns since the beginning of May.
You can donate to buy drones, but you can also buy smaller items of equipment for the Ukrainian army, such as ammunition, knee pads or thermal underwear.
Apparently, those who gave money for the tank also received a T-shirt with the words "Fuck Putin" or "Saint Himars" glorifying multiple rocket launchers.
"Tomáš" is now to be the name of the T-72, named after the first Czechoslovak President, Tomáš Masaryk.
The Czech Republic, a member of NATO and the European Union, has given Ukraine strong support.
It has shipped surplus army stocks as well as private equipment funded by other countries and the Ukrainian government to Ukraine.
This includes older tanks, multiple rocket launchers, artillery, infantry fighting vehicles and anti-aircraft systems for Ukraine.
More citizen donations from the Czech Republic
Donations will continue to be collected for the procurement of ammunition, as the campaign announced on its website.
By the end of September, Czechs had donated 1.3 billion kroner ($51.72 million) to arms-buying efforts coordinated with the Czech Defense Ministry, according to the Ukrainian embassy.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged countries that support it to provide modern western main battle tanks to support its offensive against Russian-controlled regions in the south and east of the country.
So far, however, the governments have been reluctant because they fear that the supply of new war equipment will provoke Russian attacks on their countries.
mamk/mgo/Reuters