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Slovenia ready to participate in Russian tank biathlon but not on its own tanks

Earlier reports from the Russian Defense Ministry said Slovenia had reaffirmed its participation in the next year’s Russian competitions in tank biathlon on their national tanks M-84

© ITAR-TASS/Artiom Geodakyan

MOSCOW, December 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Slovenia has expressed its readiness to dispatch its men to take part in Russian tank biathlon competition but not on its own armor , a source at the military diplomatic corps told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

“Slovenia is ready to dispatch a 20-men-strong unit to take part in tank biathlon in Russia in 2014," he said. "An inquiry on this has been sent to the Russian Defense Ministry.”

“Although Slovenia will fail to send its tanks along with the crews, as this step demands substantial financial spending, which is not envisaged in the country’s budget.”

Earlier reports from the Russian Defense Ministry said Slovenia had reaffirmed its participation in the next year’s Russian competitions in tank biathlon on their national tanks M-84, a Yugoslav modernized remake of the Soviet T-72M.

In September during an official visit to Slovenia Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu invited the NATO country to compete in tank biathlon.

Russia has held a number of competitions in tank biathlon, all on Russian T-72B tanks, including an international competition with Armenian, Belarusian and Kazakhstani crews.

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