For more than three years, Russia has been deploying its oldest military vehicles to the front lines—with catastrophic results.
As the White House attempts to persuade Moscow to agree on a ceasefire deal in Ukraine, which could lead to a formal peace treaty, the Kremlin continues to send aging military hardware to the frontline. That fact suggests that the situation is not quite as desperate for Kyiv as some Western pundits have insisted.
While it may be difficult, if not outright impossible, for Ukraine to “win” the war against Russia, recent photos of trains carrying yet more Cold War-era T-62 tanks from storage inside Russia to the frontlines indicate that the Kremlin does not have the conflict won either.
The T-62’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 1961
- Number Built: Approximately 22,000
- Hull Length: 6.63 m (30 ft 8 in)
- Total weight, battle ready: 40 tons
- Suspensions: Torsion Bar/tTwo-plane stabilizer for the main gun
- Engine: V-55U V12 diesel, 620 hp (some sources cite 580 hp)
- Armament: 115mm 2A20 (U-5TS) smoothbore cannon
- Top speed: 50 km/h (31 mph)
- Range: 450 km (280 mi) on road
- Crew: 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Russia’s T-62 Tanks Are Positively Ancient
Dylan Malyasov of the Defence Blog first reported that another batch of T-62s was spotted on Russian social networks. The tanks were likely among those that were updated in the 1980s, but even by that standard, most are older than the crews operating them.
The T-62 entered service as the United States military had only recently adopted the M14 rifle, with the AR-15/M16 still being developed. The upgraded Soviet-era tanks are also significantly older than the original M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs), which formally entered service in 1980 and have been repeatedly upgraded since then.
Malyasov suggested that Russia continues to press its aging T-62 into service because it has few other options.
“With production lines unable to replace battlefield losses at the rate they occur, Moscow has been forced to pull older equipment out of long-term storage,” he wrote. “Military analysts note that the T-62 is not suited for modern armored warfare.”
The T-62 was an evolutionary development from the T-54/55 series tanks and included several notable upgrades—including the more powerful 115mm U-5TS “Molot” smoothbore gun and a redesigned turret. It was a decent tank for its time, with features that became standardized in subsequent Soviet and Russian mass-produced tanks.
Despite those upgrades, the tank’s shortcomings on the battlefield in Ukraine are easy to spot. For instance, its main gun lacks the stopping power of the more modern 125mm smoothbore gun that was first employed with the T-72, the T-62’s successor. Moreover, it lacks the same level of armor as the newer vehicles. Even as Russia has attempted to update and enhance the tank’s fire control system, it is simply outdated technology.
Russia Has No Option but to Deploy Outdated Tanks
The T-62 has been previously described as being only “vaguely useful,” as Russia simply cannot produce tanks fast enough to keep up with losses. While getting trained crews killed in the latest offensive seems to be an ineffective strategy, it is one that Moscow continues to employ.
More than 22,000 T-62s were produced by the time production ended, and the Soviet Union maintained the old stockpiles in preparation for war with NATO. As other tanks were retired, the stockpiles increased—and on paper at least, Russia was seen as a tank powerhouse.
“In light of large-scale, irrecoverable losses of weapons and military equipment during the war against Ukraine, the Russian Federation is undertaking the mass redeployment of outdated combat vehicles,” the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) noted in a report released in June.
“With reserves of 1970s-era equipment running low, the Russian Armed Forces have now resumed active deployment of even older models, particularly T-62 tanks,” the report added—noting that the tanks were being refurbished for frontline duty at the 103rd Armored Repair Plant in the village of Atamanovka, Transbaikal Territory.
The T-62s Might Be More Useful as Bunkers than Vehicles
For more than three years, Russia has been deploying its aging vehicles to the front lines with catastrophic results. However, as Ukrinform.net explained in June, the antiquated tanks are largely being utilized “as stationary firing points to reinforce defensive lines.”
That would certainly fall into the “vaguely useful” role for a tank that would be better in a museum than on the front lines of a modern conflict. However, this serves once again to highlight that despite the gains Russia has made, it is facing a war of attrition like no other in its modern history. If Western assistance to Ukraine cannot give Kyiv the victory, it appears that it can at least keep it from Moscow.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
