Russia's tank reserves dwindle as battlefield losses surge
According to an analysis conducted by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russian Federation Army relies on equipment from storage facilities. Experts estimate that Russia's storage facilities will be empty by fall 2025 at the current rate of losses.
11:07 AM EST, November 14, 2024
Many experts are significantly interested in the remaining equipment in Russian storage needed for conducting battles in Ukraine. They continuously analyze the numbers of lost vehicles and those still awaiting deployment to the front. According to analysts from the ISW, the Russian army currently relies mainly on repaired tanks taken from storage. This is an attempt to replace lost equipment. In the long run, the aggressor's army will not have sufficient equipment.
Losses match production
Recently, Viktor Kevliuk, an expert from the Ukrainian Defense Strategies Center, cited by the Ukrainian agency Unian, discussed the losses suffered by Russia, stating that the Russian Federation currently produces and refurbishes up to 160 tanks monthly. This means that local troops gain about 1,920 tanks a year. This number matches the number of tanks being destroyed in the same period.
According to data from the portal Oryx, Russian troops have lost 3,558 tanks (in practice, there might be more) since the outbreak of the full-scale war, roughly the same number as the Russian Federation could have produced and refurbished during this time.
According to Kevliuk, it is also significant that Russia does not have large production capabilities in the context of tanks. His calculations show that the Russian defense industry produced about 560 tanks. The remaining constructions are storage reserves. According to Unian, Russian reserves will be depleted by fall 2025 if the pace of production and losses continues.
Russian tank losses
Previous calculations have shown that Russians are losing a significant number of tanks from the T-90 family, including the latest model, the T-90M Proryv, with a 2A46M-5 caliber 125 mm gun, featuring an improved fire control system and reinforced reactive armor, Relikt.
Additionally, Russians regularly lose other valuable constructions, such as the T-80BVM and T-72B3. The former is primarily characterized by durable armor. Both, however, feature advanced optoelectronics, which, combined with efficient guns, enable the effective detection and elimination of enemy vehicles on the front. It's no wonder that Ukrainians have taken a liking to destroying these tanks. The T-72 tanks of the Russian Federation army are also frequently destroyed.
