English Section

Wrecked Russian tanks, howitzers on show in Warsaw

28.06.2022 07:00
An exhibition of Russian military hardware destroyed by Ukraine has opened in the Polish capital Warsaw. 
A destroyed T-72BA tank (left) and a defunct 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled gun howitzer (right) are seen on display in Warsaws Castle Square as part of an exhibition of Russian military equipment destroyed by Ukraine, on Monday, June 27, 2022.
A destroyed T-72BA tank (left) and a defunct 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled gun howitzer (right) are seen on display in Warsaw's Castle Square as part of an exhibition of Russian military equipment destroyed by Ukraine, on Monday, June 27, 2022. PAP/Rafał Guz

Entitled “For Our Freedom and Yours,” the showcase is on display in the city's Castle Square, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

In the four months since Russia’s brutal invasion began, Ukraine has managed to destroy over 10,000 units of the aggressor’s military equipment, from armoured vehicles and tanks to aeroplanes and ships, according to officials.

Some of this hardware has now been brought to the Warsaw public as evidence that the Russian army is not invincible, officials told reporters.  

'Russian army can be defeated’ 

Michał Dworczyk, chief of staff to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, said on Monday: “This Russian equipment, destroyed by Ukrainian troops, is proof that with determination, courage and professionalism, the Russian army can be defeated.”

He added: “Today, the heroic Ukrainian soldiers are defending not just Ukraine, but Poland and the entire Europe.”

Dworczyk emphasised that Ukraine was able to effectively "resist the aggressor" also thanks to military assistance from Poland and other countries.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malar thanked Poland for supplying her country with military equipment and for welcoming refugees who had been forced to flee their homes.

Tank, gun howitzer, rockets

The exhibition features a defunct T-72 tank, the remains of rockets that had been unleashed on Ukrainian homes and cities, and a gun howitzer, of the kind that are frequently destroyed by their Polish-made counterparts, called Krab (Crab). 

“I would like to tell the Polish people that Ukrainian soldiers are immensely grateful for being able to use the Krab gun howitzers in combat,” Malar said.

The exhibition in Warsaw’s Castle Square has been co-organised by the Ukrainian and Polish defence ministries and City Hall. It runs until July 6, after which it will move to other Polish cities, officials said.

Tuesday is day 125 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: IAR, polskieradio.pl