Russia turns to movie studio tanks amidst military strain
The Russian army has decided to seek reinforcements from an unusual source. Russia's oldest film studio, Mosfilm, has handed over several dozen tanks used as props during the production of war films.
Although this transfer occurred in 2023, details about it have only recently emerged in the public domain. Mosfilm decided to hand over 28 T-55 tanks, eight PT-76 tanks, and several infantry fighting vehicles.
"I found out there was a need, so I got in touch with the Ministry of Defense, and they took these vehicles," said Mosfilm's general director, Karen Shakhnazarov, in a conversation with Vladimir Putin. He added that Mosfilm also supports the Russian army financially. This year, it reportedly contributed approximately 6 million rubles for its needs.
Mosfilm film studio handed over tanks to the army
The Ukrainian portal Defence Express, which specializes in military topics, highlights that this situation is exceptional, even by "Russian standards," as the tanks in film studios are primarily used as props with limited functionality. Based on photos, Ukrainians estimate that the Russian army decided to review the studio's resources and selected operational vehicles with the potential to be used at least as donors of spare parts, and possibly even as operational units.
Russia increasingly relies on old tanks
According to the creators of the Oryx blog, who monitor and document the losses suffered by both sides in the conflict in Ukraine, Russians have already lost over 3,500 tanks. Given the limited production capabilities and dwindling stockpiles, very old tanks are increasingly appearing on the front line.
This includes, among others, T-55s. These are machines whose production began in 1958. Today, they do not protect the crew against hostile fire or even drones. Additionally, they have a modest 4-inch gun without the support of modern systems and optics, resulting in inadequate situational awareness and rendering them entirely useless during night attacks.
The PT-76 is also a very old design, rarely seen in Russian ranks. It is a light tank produced between 1951 and 1967, noted for its ability to navigate waterways and its main armament, a 3-inch gun with a stockpile of 40 rounds. Defence Express suggests that the PT-76 tanks acquired from the Mosfilm studio will be used as donors of spare parts for BTR-50 vehicles, which were developed on the PT-76 chassis.
