South Korea mulls sending tanks to aid Ukraine against Russia

South Korea has been supporting Ukraine for months, but the assistance provided does not include "lethal weapons." However, Seoul is increasingly considering lifting the ban on supplying such weapons due to Russia's and North Korea's actions. According to the Global Firepower ranking, South Korea has the fifth most powerful army in the world, so it could potentially supply Ukraine with well-known equipment.

The Ukrainian portal Defence Express, specializing in military topics, believes that among the "favorites" that might reach Ukraine from South Korean warehouses are primarily T-80U tanks and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles.

According to publicly available data, the South Korean army has approximately 40 T-80U tanks and around 70 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, which Russia delivered to South Korea in the 1990s.

Despite the ongoing threat from North Korea, the T-80U and BMP-3 are not significant for the South Korean army, which possesses a range of newer arsenals. Additionally, the T-80U and BMP-3 are no longer in satisfactory technical condition, but for Ukraine, they could still prove to be valuable reinforcements—both as combat equipment and as "donors of spare parts."

The BMP-3 began service in the USSR in the late 1970s as an improvement over the BMP-2. After the dissolution of the USSR, some BMP-3 units were included in the armies of newly formed countries, including Ukraine, which continues to use these infantry fighting vehicles today. These vehicles use tracked traction and engines with approximately 500 horsepower, reaching speeds up to about 45 mph. They are armed with a low-pressure 100 mm cannon, a 30 mm cannon, and a 7.62 mm machine gun.

The T-80U is one of the variants of the widely distributed T-80 family of tanks. These tanks also originate from the USSR, with some variants used by both sides of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The T-80U features a more powerful engine, generating 1,250 horsepower, and its main armament is a 125 mm smoothbore cannon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first approached the South Korean parliament in 2022, requesting the transfer of armored vehicles, air defense systems, and other heavy weapons. However, Seoul has consistently rejected such requests.

The possibility of a change in stance is becoming more likely due to the increasing cooperation between North Korea and Russia, both militarily and economically. Pyongyang has been supplying artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles for use by Putin's army in Ukraine for months, and there have been reports that it may decide to send its soldiers to the Ukrainian front.