Direct proof of use
The PT-91 Twardy is documented in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through transfer reporting, Ukrainian military media, and later battlefield reporting. Ukrinform reported on July 25, 2022 that Poland had delivered a batch of PT-91 Twardy tanks to Ukraine, while later reporting from Militarnyi and VOA described a Polish package that included 30 PT-91 tanks.
Combat use is documented beyond transfer paperwork. ArmyInform interviewed a Ukrainian PT-91 crew of the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade and described Polish training followed by combat experience in Ukraine, including intensive fighting in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Defense Express summarized the same ArmyInform report in English and stated that Ukrainian tankers used PT-91 Twardy tanks in battles against Russian forces.
Sources: Ukrinform PT-91 Delivery, Militarnyi PT-91 Transfer Package, VOA Poland Tank Transfer, ArmyInform 117th Brigade PT-91 Report, Defense Express PT-91 Combat Work
Timeline
Public reporting first placed PT-91 tanks in the Ukrainian aid pipeline in July 2022, when Polish and Ukrainian officials confirmed a batch had been handed over. In January 2023, Poland's prime minister said a further modernized-tank package for Ukraine included 30 PT-91 tanks.
The tanks were subsequently documented in battlefield service. Army Recognition reported the first confirmed destroyed Ukrainian PT-91 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on July 9, 2023. In December 2024, ArmyInform published a detailed report with a Ukrainian PT-91 crew from the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, describing training in Poland, combat experience in Ukraine, and fire missions against Russian positions.
Sources: Ukrinform PT-91 Delivery, Militarnyi PT-91 Transfer Package, Army Recognition First PT-91 Loss, ArmyInform 117th Brigade PT-91 Report
Narrative
The PT-91 entered Ukrainian service as a Polish modernized T-72-family tank rather than a new Western main battle tank. Polish transfers gave Ukraine another 125 mm-gun platform compatible with Soviet-pattern armored-force practices, while the PT-91 added Polish fire-control, protection, and modernization features compared with older T-72M1 tanks.
In Ukrainian service, public sources describe the PT-91 mainly as a direct-fire and fire-support tank. ArmyInform's crew report says Ukrainian tankers trained on the type in Poland and then developed practical experience during fighting in Ukraine, including in Zaporizhzhia. The same report describes the 125 mm gun being used against Russian armored vehicles, infantry concentrations, and fortified positions, and notes that tank crews relied on mobility, crew coordination, electronic-warfare equipment, and protective screens under drone and anti-tank threats.
The published evidence does not establish a complete Ukrainian PT-91 order of battle or every sector where the tanks served. It does, however, directly supports Ukrainian receipt, battlefield exposure, and crew-described combat employment of the PT-91 during the war.
Sources: ArmyInform 117th Brigade PT-91 Report, Defense Express PT-91 Combat Work, Army Recognition First PT-91 Loss
