Polish Tanks, Dutch APCs Constitute New Ukraine Armored Brigade

Ukraine has 'stood up' in military parlance a new tank brigade armed with upgraded Polish tanks and Dutch armored personnel carriers. 

The number of new tanks and APCs provide the equivalent of ten Russian battalion tactical groups, suggesting that NATO weaponry could make a big difference on the battlefield, especially when Ukrainian morale and training are factored. JL 

Daily Kos reports:

The Ukraine Army deployed a new tank brigade due to the supply of weapons from westeran countries. The 5th Tank Brigade was deployed from reserve to full-fledged. Recent pictures have shown  Polish tanks with updated armor and optics. The YPR-765 is a modified M-113 armored personnel carrier. The Dutch had 500 decommissioned in deep storage since 2012. M113s, and its Dutch variant, won’t protect against direct tank or heavy cannon fire, but it’ll do nicely against artillery shrapnel. 100 tanks and 400-500 YPR-765s would be the equivalent of 10 Russian full-strength battalion tactical groups

Recent pictures have shown  Polish tanks with updated armor and optics. The YPR-765 is a modified M-113 armored personnel carrier. The Dutch never announced how many they were sending to Ukraine, but they had 500 decommissioned in deep storage since 2012. Hopefully they sent them all. When the United States announced it was sending M113s to Ukraine, I noted they would be perfect for a southern advance on Kherson—the open fields make unprotected infantry approaches vulnerable to artillery fire, and a stalemate has ensued in the region, with neither side able to hold territory under enemy artillery barrage. M113s, and its Dutch variant, won’t protect against direct tank or heavy cannon fire, but it’ll do nicely against artillery shrapnel. 

100 tanks and 400-500 YPR-765s would be the equivalent of around 10 Russian full-strength battalion tactical groups, and maybe 20 actual real-life chronically under-strength BTGs. Russia has around three BTGs camped south of Kryvyi Rih in a stupid under-resourced attempt to push north out of Kherson, and another six or so in Kherson and its immediate surroundings. (And none are likely anywhere near full strength.) It’ll be interesting to see if Ukraine deploys this new tank brigade south in a serious bid to liberate Kherson, or if they’ll send it east to the Donbas to try and deliver a mortal blow to Russian forces massed around Izyum.