KIEV, February 13. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine will take part in the World Championship of Tank Biathlon due in Moscow’s suburb of Alabino from July 26 to August 16, acting head of the Defence Ministry’s press and information department Alexander Motuzyanik told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

He said Ukraine would take part in the biathlon event as an observer to study experience of preparation for and participation in the championship.

Defense ministries of 20 countries accepted Russia’s invitation to compete in the World Championship of Tank Biathlon in Alabino that hosted the first tank biathlon last August with participating crews from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, said Lieutenant General Ivan Buvaltsev, head of the Russian army’s main department of combat preparation, said.

“Russian Defense Minister Gen. Sergei Shoigu signed official invitations for 41 countries,” Buvaltsev told a meeting with military attaches in late January.

Five countries, Ukraine, Greece, the Czech Republic, Italy and China, will use own tanks.

The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukrainian and Chinese tanks would be delivered to the site of the championship by rail, while tanks of the Czech Republic, Italy and Greece would be taken by planes of Russia’s Military Transport Aviation.

The tank biathlon, which is analogous with the Olympic discipline, was invented by the Russian military.