The batch of 30 T-34 medium tanks purchased from Laos arrived in Russia in early January.

Media reports on 9 January, citing local sources, stated that the first T-34 medium tanks have arrived in Russia as part of military-technical cooperation with Laos.

“During the visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Laos in January last year, agreements were reached on the return of T-34 tanks to Russia,” the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said.

“The combat vehicles has already covered more than 4,500 km by sea and arrived in Vladivostok. Then by rail, it will be delivered to the Moscow region, to the city of Naro-Fominsk “.

T-34 tanks transferred by the Lao side is planned to be used during the Victory parades in various cities of Russia, for updating museum exhibits, as well as for making films about the Second World War.

A military expert, editor of the «Arsenal Otechestva» magazine, Alexey Leonkov, commented on the RT decision of Laos’ Ministry of Defense to transfer 30 T-34 tanks to Russia.

“T-34 produced several tens of thousands, then others went – T-54, T-62. We had a huge number of friendly countries scattered around the world, which required military equipment … Tanks in Laos came after the Vietnamese war in very good condition. And there they were treated very carefully, ”said the expert.

But some experts claim that Laos’ transferred tanks in Т-34-85 configuration, are Czechoslovak-made vehicles of the mid-1950s.