According to Menadefense, Morocco had a total of 148 T-72s in its arsenal, including 136 T-72Bs and 12 T-72BKs, which were purchased second-hand from Belarus in 1999 and 2000. At the time, the Moroccan military had intended to form a "Russian" brigade in the north of the country to counter the armored divisions of neighboring Algeria.
However, according to reports, the decision to send the tanks to Ukraine was made under pressure during the Rammstein summit for Ukraine, which took place on April 26, 2022 and was organized by the United States. Tunisia and Morocco were the only two countries from North Africa to attend the summit, with Tunisia reportedly sending two cargo planes to the airport of Rzeszow in Poland, which centralizes logistical aid to Ukraine.
Marrakesh T-72Bs under modernization in the Czech Republic
Images from the visit by the Czech Prime Minister appear to indicate that the tanks had been poorly maintained, with the renovation of the chassis indicating that they had not been kept in good condition. However, the turrets were in their original condition and were still painted in the original colors of sand.
There are speculations that the United States may have promised material aid to Morocco in exchange for the country getting rid of its Soviet military equipment, potentially hinting at a replacement of the T-72s with M1A1s from the US military surplus.
Source: Menadefense
