Russian tank reserves running low, depletion expected by 2025
4:46 PM EDT, September 20, 2024
The head of the Ukrainian Center for Military-Legal Studies, Oleksandr Musienko, estimates how long the Russian Federation will have tanks in storage. The expert believes that the situation is becoming increasingly difficult for Russia, and the machines will last until 2025.
In mid-September 2024, experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) expressed similar sentiments. Referring to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, they estimated that Russia's stocks would run out in 2026. According to ISW, the Russian Federation is expected to cope with the production problem.
Fewer tanks in Russian warehouses
Musienko claims the tanks remaining in warehouses will be sufficient for the aggressor's army until 2025. The expert notes that they still have T-55s, but they've almost lost the T-62s, pointing out that these older tanks are losing significance as they are very easy targets on the front line.
Musienko believes that Russia has enough tanks to conduct an offensive in 2025, but storage problems will start to arise in the following years. Regarding storage levels, Russia has enough for 2025, and that's it, he states. In 2026, there will be nothing left to store; there will be no tanks, he claims. According to a Ukrainian expert, this means that problems in the Russian arsenal will be solved in the next several months.
Until the storage reserves are depleted, the Russian Federation intends to focus primarily on constructing T-90M Proryv tanks. According to Ukrainian experts, the Russians want to produce 149 of these tanks in total by 2024, which will pose the greatest threat to defenders in the coming months.
The most important tank in the Russian Federation's arsenal
The T-90M Proryv is one of the latest achievements in Russian military technology and a significant element of their arsenal. Although it garners admiration and recognition, it is not without controversy. This tank has impressive combat capabilities that theoretically make it outstanding, but on the battlefield, it does not always live up to expectations, as evidenced by clashes with the M2 Bradley combat vehicle, theoretically a weaker opponent.
The T-90M has a 2A46M-5 125 mm cannon and a modern Kalina fire control system. Its armament is complemented by 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns, which increase its offensive capabilities, allowing it to attack lightly armored units and infantry. The crew protection system relies on Relikt reactive armor, resisting drone attacks and missiles aimed at the tank. The T-90M can reach a maximum speed of 40-43 mph, enabling rapid movement on the battlefield.
