With the latest installment of Western military aid for Ukraine expected in the coming months, Poland’s military support to Kyiv will exceed €3 billion, according to the Polish defense ministry.
Around €500 million worth of equipment is to be sent to Ukraine in the next three months, and Polish government officials reported it had already provided more than €2.5 billion from donating Leopard tanks, MIG-29 fighter jets, 240 T-72 tanks, 54 Krab howitzers, and a multitude of other equipment and ammunition.
The defense ministry refused to list what the latest military aid package for Ukraine contains, but according to the Wall Street Journal, part of the deal is accounted for by MI-24 helicopters. However, little is known about the delivery of Rosomak armored vehicles that the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had signaled back in March.
Mention has been made of 150 vehicles as well as 24 Rak mortars and 200 Rosomak armored personnel carriers in two separate batches. It is not clear now, how much of the equipment was ordered new and how much has come from Polish army reserves.
There can be no doubt that Poland remains an important supplier of military hardware to Ukraine. Even if deliveries are slightly lower than last year, the amount of aid is still on the rise. Moreover, part of this assistance lies in Poland acting as a logistical hub for NATO aid and a training center for Ukrainian troops.
The fact that Poland has dedicated equipment and financial resources to helping Ukraine means that it has to gradually replenish its own reserves to be able to defend itself. In many areas, such as howitzers, the contracts are already in place, but they will take some years to actually deliver. But in some areas, such as infantry vehicles, contracting is still at the stage of preparation, and the new equipment is more modern and more expensive. In some cases, the aid for Ukraine is being refunded by the EU or the United States, but the Polish budget is taking most of the strain.
