Russian weapons destroyed during the invasion of Ukraine have been put on display in Warsaw. “This exhibition proves that the Russians can be defeated,” says Michał Dworczyk, the Polish prime minister’s chief of staff.
The equipment – a T-72 tank, 2S19 Msta self-propelled howitzer, and parts of Russian missile systems – has been installed on Castle Square in the heart of Poland’s capital. It was unveiled yesterday by Dworczyk alongside Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar.
The destroyed weapons puncture the myth that “the Russian army is invincible” and show that “courage, determination and professionalism are the elements that will allow the Ukrainians to defeat the Russian aggressor,” declared Dworczyk.
🇵🇱🤝🇺🇦 Minister @michaldworczyk podczas otwarcia wystawy “Za wolność naszą i waszą”: Ta wystawa jest dowodem na to, że Rosjan można pokonać. Będzie tutaj do 6 lipca, a następnie będzie eksponowana w innych miastach w Polsce. Namawiam wszystkich, żeby zapoznać się z tą wystawą. pic.twitter.com/VYEg1FOfZr
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) June 27, 2022
Pointing to the T-72, Maliar noted that Ukrainian forces have so far destroyed over 1,500 similar vehicles, reports Gazeta Wyborcza. “It is difficult for European society to imagine the amount of iron and fire that Ukraine is holding back at present, because it has not happened in 80 years,” she said.
The Ukrainian official noted that the destroyed equipment will also be shown in other European cities, including Berlin and Paris. But she said that the exhibition was being launched in Warsaw because Poland has been Ukraine’s closest friend during the war.
Maliar also added that further Western support for Ukraine can help ensure that such “tanks can get to Europe only as museum exhibits” rather than as part of an actual invasion, reports Associated Press.
The EU will reimburse Poland for much of the costs of arms it has donated to Ukraine, says the prime minister
Poland has been the second largest donor of military equipment to Ukraine in the world this year, behind only the US, according to @kielinstitute https://t.co/nq180xyoEK
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) June 27, 2022
Dworczyk also noted that the location of the exhibition is a symbolic one, as it was where the Polish underground Home Army fought against the Nazi German occupiers during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, during and after which the Germans destroyed most of the city.
“Today we are dealing with a similar situation in Ukraine,” said Dworczyk. “Russian barbarians are ruthlessly murdering soldiers, but also civilians, and are destroying Ukrainian villages and towns.”
“The Ukrainian army, while defending its country, is also defending Poland and Europe,” he continued. “It is worth reminding all those who question the sense of the military aid that Poland and other countries provide to Ukraine.”
Main image credit: Jacek Marczewski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
