Why Cyprus Might Transfer Its Russian-Made Weapons To Ukraine

The Republic of Cyprus is open to a U.S. request to switch its Russian-made army {hardware} to Ukraine, offered it could actually purchase equal techniques from the West. Nicosia might seize this chance to exchange its older Russian techniques and considerably modernize its modest armed forces.

The Greek information website Kathimerini reported that the U.S. “request was acquired positively by President Nicos Anastasiades who gave the go-ahead for additional discussions to be finished shortly.”

The small Greek Cypriot nation, which has been in a virtually half-century standoff with the Turkish-backed separatist state within the north of the island of Cyprus, has quite a lot of weapons Kyiv would undoubtedly be desperate to obtain. For instance, it operates the Russian-built 9K330 Tor short-range and 9K37 Buk medium-range surface-to-air missile techniques, which may bolster Ukraine’s land-based air defenses.

Cyprus additionally has quite a lot of armor that Ukraine would discover helpful. The U.S. is urging allied international locations that possess T-72 tanks, and different related Soviet-built primary battle tanks, to switch them to Ukraine. Cyprus operates a large fleet of over 50 T-80s acquired from Russia within the second half of the Nineteen Nineties and the early 2010s. The Ukrainian Military favors the T-80, and the T-64, over the T-72, so it will undoubtedly admire Cypriot T-80s.

Earlier than the Ukraine disaster, Nicosia indicated it will be joyful to dump its Russian {hardware}.

In mid-2021, the Cypriot Protection Ministry refused to verify or deny reviews that it was looking for to promote its fleet of 11 Russian-built Mi-35P assault helicopters, which it has had since 2001, to Serbia for 150 million to 300 million euros (roughly $160 million to $320 million) and exchange them with extra fashionable helicopters.

They’re turning into outdated and would reportedly price an estimated 100 million euros (roughly $109 million) to maintain in service for an additional decade.

In mild of the Ukraine invasion, Cyprus might resolve that giving its Russian techniques to Ukraine is a no brainer if it could actually get ample or superior Western replacements. In spite of everything, sustaining these Russian weapons over the following decade can be much more expensive and sophisticated because of the intensive sanctions not too long ago leveled in opposition to Russia, which is able to disrupt Moscow’s skill to supply components and upkeep help to international locations that function Russian-built {hardware}.

France is already serving to Cyprus modernize its air defenses with short-range Mistral missiles and Exocet anti-ship missiles as a part of a $262 million arms deal signed in February 2020. The U.S. partially lifted the arms embargo, that it had imposed on Cyprus in November 1987, in September 2020. Washington may totally raise this embargo in return for Cyprus transferring much-needed tools to Ukraine.

Necessity slightly than alternative: Cyprus’s procurement of Russian {hardware}

Not like Turkey’s simply disproven declare that it purchased superior Russian S-400 missiles as a result of america refused to promote Patriots, Cyprus had little different possibility than to show to Moscow due to the above-mentioned U.S. arms embargo. Moreover, Moscow was greater than prepared to promote it what it wished whatever the political implications.

In 1996, the small island republic purchased T-80 tanks and BMP-3 armored personnel carriers from Russia and paraded them by means of the streets of its capital shortly after that.

Then it upped the ante by shopping for extremely superior long-range S-300PMU-1 air protection missile techniques to discourage Turkish Air Pressure violations of its airspace. Ankara was livid and instantly threatened to launch a preemptive strike to destroy the batteries in the event that they arrived on the island. Greece mentioned it will retaliate in opposition to any such strike. So started the Cypriot S-300 Disaster. In November 1997, Turkey held an infinite army train in Northern Cyprus that included commandos destroying a mock S-300 with time bombs. In June 1998, Greece and Turkey briefly deployed F-16s to airstrips on the divided island.

Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides finally conceded to having the missiles transferred to the Greek island of Crete to avert a possible struggle. Greece stored the missiles in storage for 14 years, solely first test-firing them in a army train in 2013.

(Because the Ukraine disaster started, Greece rejected the prospect of sending its Tor missile techniques to Kyiv. It is unclear, nonetheless, if it could be open to supplying Ukraine with these S-300PMU-1s.)

What would possibly Cyprus exchange its Russian {hardware} with?

It’s miles from clear at current what Cyprus would possibly need to exchange these older Russian techniques with, though which will turn into clear quickly. As not too long ago as January, native media on the island nation reported that the army is near deciding on what new anti-aircraft techniques it desires to purchase. Nicosia reportedly desires techniques that might set up an “anti-aircraft display screen over your complete island… able to countering any risk inside Cyprus’ airspace.” It would finally search MIM-104 Patriot missiles if the U.S. is prepared to promote them, though that may nonetheless most definitely be a methods off for numerous causes. Maybe extra restricted brief to medium-range air defenses can be offered to exchange the Buk and Tor techniques.

Cyprus additionally desires new helicopters that may hearth missiles, function at night time, transport troops, and perform search and rescue missions to exchange its Mi-35Ps. Maybe Nicosia would possibly accept shopping for a mixture of assault and utility helicopters it may use to meet these necessities.

The report notes that Cyprus is already awaiting supply of Block 3 Exocets from France, which has greater than double the vary of the Block 2 Exocets Cyprus presently possesses. Perhaps these older Exocets is also given to Ukraine to bolster its coastal Black Sea defenses.

Cyprus by no means had fighter jets. Rumor has it that Greece may provide it with a few of its older French-built Mirage 2000 jets, though that has but to be seen and appears fairly doubtful.

Nicosia might finally decide to purchase armed drones as a substitute of fighter jets. It already operates a small fleet of Aerostar and Searcher reconnaissance drones acquired from Israel. It may deflect any inevitable objections from Ankara by pointing to Turkey’s deployment of Bayraktar TB2 drones at Gecitkale airbase in Turkish Cyprus.

No matter techniques Nicosia finally decides to hunt, the current second is undoubtedly a novel alternative for it to remodel its army arsenal for the higher.