Allan Pedersen is willing to invest in Ukraine’s defense from Russian invasion, so much so that he sent a BMP-1 and SNAR-10 1RL232 from his private collection. The delivery was facilitated on Friday.

Pedersen is the founder and owner of PanzerMuseum East, a museum based in Slagelse which showcases Warsaw Pact equipment and vehicles. Opened in 2014, it is the largest privately-owned military vehicle collection in Denmark. He has been collecting militaria for over 30 years.

Besides tanks, uniforms, and other combat-related technology, the museum has military off-road trucks and cars such as a Tatra 815, Praga V3S, and GAZ-69. Motorcycles include the Dnepr MV-750, Ural 650, and both military- and police-spec MZ TS 250s. There’s even a retired BAC One-Eleven that doubles as a cinema and role-playing area.

More pertinently, the museum’s inventory boasts multiple BMP-1s and SNAR-10s. This gave Pedersen peace of mind when making the deal with the AFU since he could simply pull out the reserves and put those on display in their places. It’s still bittersweet seeing his babies leaving the nest for the front, but he knows this is for a good cause; if anything, he’s open to sending more equipment to Ukraine.

“It’s a shame for me in some respects because I’m a museum person,” he told TV2 ØST. “These are some vehicles I acquired in the past to convey history. But when I have duplicates of them, I think it’s okay to do so.

“We must do everything to help stop this dirty war in Ukraine at some point. Vehicles can certainly contribute to this in one way or another. There is no doubt about that.”

Pedersen also noted that Ukraine has reached out to other museums in Europe. Both sides have relied on museum pieces since the war began in 2014, including those from both World Wars and prior.

The BMP-1 and SNAR-10 began production in the Soviet Union in 1966, and both have seen use by Ukraine as well as Russia in the ongoing war. The former remains popular today because of its abundance and affordability compared to modern IFVs. Last December, Slovakian company STV Machinery began producing BMP-1 hulls to meet the increased demand.

The SNAR-10, NATO-codenamed “Big Fred”, is an artillery reconnaissance system built atop the MT-LB platform. It can detect and track moving targets on the ground and water, and comes with a radar to relay relevant information to artillery units.

Despite both turning 60 this year, they remain important parts of the AFU’s arsenal since they have the expertise with Soviet-era equipment. Pedersen explained to TV2 ØST that they can be prepared for the front “in a matter of days”; the BMP-1 already comes with a functioning 73-millimeter gun, while the SNAR-10 already had experience for radar purposes.

In 2023, Pedersen was contacted by a Czech company that wished to acquire the museum’s Mil Mi-24. Berlingske surmised the offer was to restore the helicopter for Ukraine.

When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022, a Ukrainian flag was quickly raised on the museum premises in solidarity. Pedersen explained to Sjællandske Nyheder at the time that PanzerMuseum East is supposed to educate people about the enemy Denmark—who broke its long-standing neutrality by being among NATO’s charter members in 1947—would have faced had the Cold War gone hot, and those fears becoming reality in a friendly neighboring country only validated that mission. Denmark has remained a steadfast ally of Ukraine since.

Featured image credit: PanzerMuseum East