South Korea holds firm: No Soviet-era weapons for Ukraine
Ukrainian media note that the South Korean army has begun using T-80U tanks and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles as training targets for its kamikaze drones. For Seoul, the post-Soviet equipment no longer holds significant value, but it could be of considerable assistance to Ukraine. However, there is still no chance of such a transfer, despite Kyiv's increasingly vocal requests.
At the end of November this year, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov visited South Korea and held discussions attended by, among others, President Yoon Suk-yeol. The topic also included Ukraine's potential acquisition of South Korean weapons. According to the media, Seoul has again decided to refuse and remain committed to its previous stance, which is to support Ukraine but exclude arms deliveries.
The new role of South Korean T-80U and BMP-3
Such an approach by the South Korean authorities was widely commented on in many Ukrainian media, which also drew attention to the reports from the latest South Korean army exercises. The photos show using T-80U tanks and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles as targets for kamikaze drones.
This is equipment that South Korea received from Russia in the 1990s. Based on reports from these exercises, it is difficult to assess the technical condition of this equipment. However, much suggests that at least some vehicles are operational, and as Ukrainian media emphasise, even non-operational ones would be helpful for the forces fighting Russia.
"This does not improve the situation we are in, because even worn-out T-80 tanks and BMP vehicles, which are no longer fully operational, could be used as donors for spare parts. These would be extremely useful for the Armed Forces of Ukraine," stated an analysis on the Ukrainian portal Defence Express.
South Korea's post-Soviet equipment
According to the report The Military Balance 2024, at the beginning of 2024, the South Korean army had 40 T-80U tanks and the same number of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles.
The T-80U is a variant of the widely known T-80 family. Compared to the base version, the T-80U uses a more powerful engine generating approximately 920 kilowatts. The main armament of this machine is a 125 mm smoothbore cannon. Additionally, designers mounted a 7.62 mm machine gun and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun.
Using T-80U and BMP-3 as training targets for drones is a well-thought-out tactic from South Korea's perspective because North Korea mainly relies on post-Soviet equipment. Ukrainians, however, assess this through the lens of their needs. T-80U and BMP-3 were on the list of weapons Kyiv unsuccessfully appealed for from Seoul. "South Korea's defence planning against the North Korean regime does not necessarily rely on the maxim 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'," summarised Defence Express analysts. This can be understood in reference, among others, to the dispatch of North Korean troops as support for Putin's army.
