Russia has lost scores of tanks, among other military equipment, over the last three and a half years.
Russia’s main battle tank fleet continues to take major hits. According to Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Kyiv has struck more than 1,100 Russian tanks. Additionally, the Ukrainian official claimed that more than 2,500 Russian armored vehicles have also been destroyed amidst the ongoing war. Ascertaining accurate details surrounding the loss of military equipment on both sides of the invasion has been challenging, as Moscow and Kyiv could skew numbers to favor their respective objectives in the conflict. However, video footage and documentation provided by open-source intelligence trackers confirm that Russia has lost scores of tanks, among other military equipment, over the last three and a half years.
The T-90
Despite its role as the most modern tank fielded by Russia in Ukraine, the T-90 main battle tank (MBT) has proved to be susceptible to the modern anti-tank weaponry deployed by Kyiv. The third-generation Russian tank uses a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun as its primary armament power and incorporates explosive reactive armor and an anti-tank guided missile jamming system. The newest T-90 iteration hosts enhancements including a superior main gun. While Moscow touts the T-90 as cutting-edge, the tank’s lackluster service history suggests otherwise. In fact, the majority of T-90s deployed to the frontlines of the Chechnyan War in the 1990s were struck or destroyed.
The T-72
Moscow largely relies on its stockpiles of Soviet-era and even World War II-era MBT platforms. The T-72, which has remained in service since the early 1970s, has struggled to survive against Ukraine’s arsenal of Western-delivered anti-tank weapons. The armored vehicle is equipped with a 125mm smoothbore main gun and a V12 diesel engine that allows the platform to reach speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour. The latest T-72B3 variant is equipped with an upgraded fire control system, a 2A46M5 1255mm smoothbore gun, and an enhanced thermal sight. Despite these additions, scores of T-72s have been disabled, captured, or destroyed in the Ukraine war. Russia has attempted to modify some of its T-72 fleets to better counter drones and other anti-tank projectiles, but such measures have only limited effectiveness.
The T-80
The T-80 MBT series, also a Soviet-era project, has been deployed to the frontlines of the Ukraine war since the beginning. Based largely on the T-64, the T-80 is notably the first production tank model to be powered solely by turbine. While this engine did provide unparalleled speed and maneuverability when the T-80 was first introduced, it also consumed too much fuel to be a formidable spearhead vehicle. The Soviets ultimately incorporated a new engine into the tank series, in addition to the Kontakt-1 Explosive Reactive Armor in order to enhance the MBT’s survivability. Despite these add-ons, the T-80 has perhaps suffered the most in the Ukraine war. Some experts estimate that Moscow may have lost more than 1,100 T-80s alone over the last three-plus years.
While it is virtually impossible to gather accurate details and figures surrounding Russia’s military equipment losses in the war, the country’s tank fleet has undoubtedly taken severe hits in terms of sheer numbers.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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