> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.adriadefense.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Which Soviet Weapons Are Still in NATO Service in 2026? - URL: https://www.adriadefense.com/which-soviet-weapons-are-still-in-nato-service-in-2026/ - Published: 2026-08-31T08:00:57.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-31T08:00:56.000Z - Description: Soviet-designed aircraft, air defenses, tanks and IFVs remain in several NATO forces in 2026, even as Western replacements enter service. - Author: AdriaDefense Desk - Tags: Analysis, NATO, Greece, Poland, Bulgaria, Defense Industry More than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Soviet-designed military equipment remains in active or transitional service with several NATO armed forces. Bulgaria still flies MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters, the Czech Army continues to operate BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and T-72M4CZ tanks, while Greece is preparing to replace Russian-origin OSA-AK and Tor-M1 air defense systems. The picture in 2026, however, is very different from a decade ago. Transfers to Ukraine, declining access to Russian spare parts and large procurement programs have accelerated the retirement of Soviet-origin equipment across NATO's eastern members. There is no single public NATO database providing a complete real-time inventory of every Soviet-designed weapon still operational. AdriaDefense therefore limits this overview to equipment whose continued service, replacement or recent operation can be established through government, military or other current authoritative sources. ## Bulgaria still operates the broadest mix of Soviet aircraft Bulgaria remains one of the clearest examples of a NATO member operating Soviet-designed combat aircraft alongside their Western replacements. The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense confirmed that MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters all participated in the Thracian Viper 2026 exercise between July 20 and July 24\. The same exercise also included Bulgaria's new F-16 Block 70 fighters, illustrating the transition between two generations of combat aviation within the same air force. The MiG-29 remains connected to Bulgaria's air policing mission. On March 12, 2026, Bulgarian MiG-29 crews trained with Greek F-16s on cross-border airspace control and air policing procedures within NATO's integrated air and missile defense framework. That makes Bulgaria particularly unusual in 2026: MiG-29 and F-16 Block 70 aircraft are simultaneously operating from the Bulgarian Air Force while the transition progresses. The replacement is not yet complete. Bulgaria ordered 16 F-16 Block 70 fighters in two batches of eight, but the Ministry of Defense said on August 14 that production difficulties affecting the second batch could delay those aircraft until the second quarter of 2030\. The Su-25 remains another confirmed Soviet-designed combat aircraft in Bulgarian service. Bulgarian authorities listed the type among aircraft conducting training missions during Thracian Viper 2026 in July. Bulgaria also continues to operate Mi-17 transport helicopters. The Ministry of Defense said in June that two Mi-17s were available for firefighting missions during the 2026 summer season, alongside four AS532 AL Cougar helicopters and a C-27J Spartan. This is an important distinction for any inventory of legacy equipment: an aircraft can remain in operational service without necessarily remaining central to the country's future force structure. ## Sign up for AdriaDefense Daily defense news, analysis and industry intelligence from Central and Southeast Europe. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Czech BVP-2 and T-72M4CZ are approaching replacement The Czech Republic provides one of the clearest land-force examples. The Army of the Czech Republic still lists the BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicle as equipment used by its mechanized forces. In April 2026, Czech Land Forces described the BVP-2 as an older-generation vehicle that remained part of mechanized units while the military prepared its replacement. The BVP-2 is the Czechoslovak-produced version of the Soviet BMP-2 design. Prague is replacing it with the Swedish-designed CV90 MkIV. The Czech Republic is acquiring **246 CV90 MkIV vehicles in seven variants**, and the Czech Army said in May that the vehicles would progressively replace the BVP-2\. The first CV90s are scheduled to reach the Czech Army in 2026\. The Czech Army also continues to identify the heavily modernized T-72M4CZ as equipment of the 73rd Tank Battalion alongside newly introduced Leopard 2A4 tanks. The T-72M4CZ differs substantially from the original Soviet T-72 through Czech modernization, but its underlying platform remains part of the T-72 family. Czech armored forces are now moving toward Leopard tanks. The coexistence of T-72M4CZ, Leopard 2A4 and incoming CV90 vehicles illustrates how Soviet-derived platforms can remain operational during a multi-year transition rather than disappearing immediately after a replacement contract is signed. ## Greece is preparing to retire Russian-origin air defenses Greece maintains one of NATO's most diverse air defense inventories, including Western and Russian-origin systems. The clearest currently documented transition concerns the **OSA-AK and Tor-M1**. Current Greek reporting states that Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' SPYDER is intended to progressively replace those Russian and former Eastern Bloc-origin short-range systems under the Achilles Shield program. The Greek Ministry of National Defense confirmed in July that Achilles Shield forms the centerpiece of a new national air defense architecture. Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said the air defense portion would cost slightly more than €3 billion and that the complete architecture was expected to become operational within 35 months, with deliveries taking place in stages. That staged schedule is important. Approval of a replacement does not mean Greece's legacy systems have already left service. The future of Greece's **S-300PMU-1** is less straightforward. Greece has long maintained the Russian-built system, and current modernization plans envisage reducing reliance on Russian-origin equipment. Reuters reported in November 2025 that Athens intended to phase out older Russian-made air defense systems as part of Achilles Shield. However, public reporting on the exact timing and final replacement arrangement for the S-300 has varied. AD therefore does not classify the S-300 as retired or assign a specific retirement date in this article. For the OSA-AK and Tor-M1, the replacement path is considerably clearer: SPYDER is being positioned to take over their role as Achilles Shield enters implementation. ## Hungary retired its Mi-24 and Mi-17 helicopters in June Not every well-known Soviet platform still belongs on the active list. Hungary formally ended the service of its **Mi-24 attack helicopters and Mi-17 transport helicopters in June 2026**. The Hungarian defense ministry's Honvédelem publication reported that both types concluded their service with the Hungarian Defence Forces on June 17\. That retirement is useful because older reference databases can easily create a misleading picture of present-day NATO inventories. Hungary's rotary-wing modernization has moved toward Western types, while its armored force has undergone a similar transition toward Leopard 2A7HU tanks. The Hungarian Defence Forces reported that the full Leopard 2A7HU fleet had been delivered by early 2026\. For this reason, AD does not count the Hungarian Mi-24 or Mi-17 among Soviet-designed systems still serving in NATO as of the publication date. ## Poland's Soviet-designed inventory is harder to quantify Poland represents a more complicated case because Warsaw transferred large quantities of Soviet-designed equipment to Ukraine after February 2022. The Polish Ministry of National Defense confirmed in July 2026 that Poland had supplied Ukraine with **T-72 and PT-91 tanks, MiG-29 fighters, Mi-2 helicopters and infantry fighting vehicles**, among other equipment. What the ministry did not provide in that statement was a current public inventory showing exactly how many examples of every legacy type remain available to Polish forces. That makes precise present-day claims risky. The PT-91 itself is a Polish modernization derived from the T-72 rather than a Soviet-built tank in the strict sense. Poland historically planned to use T-72-family vehicles as an interim capability while introducing newer armor, but Ukraine transfers and subsequent Abrams and K2 acquisitions have fundamentally changed the structure of Poland's armored forces. For that reason, AD does not publish an estimated 2026 number of Polish T-72 or PT-91 tanks here. Publicly available figures from older databases can predate subsequent donations, transfers, repairs and unit reorganizations. That approach sacrifices a simple headline number but avoids presenting outdated inventory estimates as current facts. ## Soviet systems are disappearing faster from NATO inventories The remaining Soviet-designed equipment in NATO service is concentrated primarily among countries that entered the alliance after the Cold War and inherited Warsaw Pact equipment. The reasons for retirement are now broader than platform age. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine disrupted traditional maintenance and spare-parts relationships for Russian-origin equipment. At the same time, NATO members across Central and Southeastern Europe have committed to large-scale Western procurement programs. Bulgaria is introducing the F-16 Block 70 and IRIS-T SLM. Its Ministry of Defense confirmed in 2026 that the country had contracted for an IRIS-T system and planned additional acquisitions under European Union SAFE financing. The Czech Republic is replacing BVP-2 vehicles with CV90 MkIVs while transitioning its tank force toward Leopard platforms. Greece is preparing SPYDER, BARAK MX and an upper-tier interceptor under Achilles Shield while progressively moving away from Russian-origin air defense equipment. Hungary has already retired the Mi-17 and Mi-24 and completed delivery of its Leopard 2A7HU fleet. The result is not an immediate disappearance of Soviet equipment, but a shrinking transitional fleet operating alongside increasingly standardized Western systems. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/98/27/9827e0e3-b01e-4517-a907-dbdd380bcbf0/content/images/2026/08/EuropeDefenseTableAir.png) ## Which Soviet weapons are still in NATO service? ### Does NATO still operate MiG-29 fighters? Yes. Bulgaria continued to fly MiG-29 fighters in NATO-related air defense training and domestic exercises in 2026\. The Bulgarian Air Force is simultaneously introducing F-16 Block 70 aircraft. ### Does Greece still use Russian air defense systems? Greece retains Russian-origin legacy air defense equipment while implementing Achilles Shield. Current Greek reporting identifies OSA-AK and Tor-M1 as systems intended for replacement by SPYDER, while the country is also moving away from reliance on other Russian-origin equipment. ### Does the Czech Army still use Soviet-designed vehicles? Yes. The Czech Army continues to operate the BVP-2, derived from the Soviet BMP-2, while introducing 246 CV90 MkIV vehicles. It also continues to list the T-72M4CZ with the 73rd Tank Battalion during its transition toward Leopard tanks. ### Does Hungary still operate Mi-24 helicopters? No. Hungary formally ended Mi-24 and Mi-17 service in June 2026\. ###