Military support for Ukraine has come from many countries, providing a wide range of equipment.
Some of it has been cutting-edge, but not all donations have been equally useful.
One example is the M-55S tanks, a modernized version of the Soviet-era T-55, sent by Slovenia.
These tanks have been moved between different Ukrainian brigades without seeing much combat, raising questions about their effectiveness on the battlefield.
Only Two Lost
The M-55S is an upgraded version of the T-55, a tank originally introduced in the late 1950s.
Slovenia completed its modernization in 1997, equipping it with a 105mm L7A1 rifled gun, improved fire control systems, and reactive armor. In late 2022, Slovenia sent 28 of these tanks to Ukraine in exchange for German military vehicles.
Despite these upgrades, the M-55S has not played a major role in combat, according to WP.
Reports suggest that only two have been lost since their arrival, a much lower casualty rate than other tanks in the Ukrainian arsenal. This suggests they have been kept away from front-line action.
According to analyst David Axe, the Ukrainian military has struggled to integrate these tanks into its forces.
Their limited armor and outdated design make them vulnerable, even with added protective cages to defend against drone attacks.
While their firepower remains somewhat effective, they cannot match the performance of more modern Western tanks like the Leopard 2 or Challenger 2.
Over the past two years, these tanks have been transferred through at least four different Ukrainian brigades.
Most recently, they were assigned to the newly formed 159th Mechanized Brigade, one of 14 new brigades established last year. Whether this unit will find a way to use them effectively remains uncertain.
