Ukraine conflict: Why is Russia losing so many tanks? (2024)

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Ukraine conflict: Why is Russia losing so many tanks? (1)Image source, Getty Images

It is thought that Russia has lost hundreds of tanks within two months of invading Ukraine.

Military experts put the losses down to the advanced anti-tank weapons which western nations have given to Ukraine, and to the poor way Russia has used its tanks.

How great are Russia's tanks losses?

Ukraine's armed forces say Russia has lost more than 680 tanks, external.

Meanwhile, Oryx - a military and intelligence blog which counts Russia's military losses in Ukraine, external on the basis of photographs sent from the war zone - says Russia has lost more than 460 tanks and over 2,000 other armoured vehicles.

According to the Rand Corporation and the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), Russia had about 2,700 main battle tanks, external in total at the start of the conflict.

How effective have anti-tank weapons been?

The US supplied Ukraine with 2,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles at the start of the conflict and has since sent at least 2,000 more.

Javelins can be fired so that the missile explodes on the top of a tank, external, where the armour is weakest, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

A lot of Russian tanks are fitted with reactive armour which absorbs the impact of missiles.

However, Javelins are fitted with two warheads. One blows away the reactive armour, and the second pierces the chassis underneath.

The UK has also sent at least 3,600 Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapon missiles (NLAW).

These are also designed to explode as they pass over the relatively exposed turret top of tanks, external.

"Javelin and NLAW are very potent," says Nick Reynolds, research analyst in land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). "Without this lethal aid, the situation in Ukraine would be very different."

The US is supplying Ukraine with 100 Switchblade anti-tank drones.

Known as "kamikaze" drones, they can hover over a target miles away from the operator and then drop on top of a tank, destroying it with the warhead at their tip.

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How much are Russian tactics to blame?

Nowadays, the Russian army operates through Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs), which are self-contained combat units made up of tanks, infantry and artillery.

The precise composition of these units may vary, but generally they comprise a large number of armoured vehicles but relatively few infantry troops.

"Russia has relatively few troops to call on," says Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at St Andrews University, "so BTGs are a way of creating a fighting unit with lots of punch.

"They're designed to attack quickly with lots of firepower. However, they have very little protection in terms of infantry personnel to escort them and to retaliate if the armoured column comes under attack," he says.

"That makes the Russian army like a boxer who has a great right hook and a glass jaw."

Image source, Getty Images

Prof O'Brien says a lack of Russian air patrols means Ukrainian troops have found it easy to get into positions to ambush Russian tank columns.

"Russia didn't get air supremacy at the start of the conflict," he says, "and so they cannot patrol the skies, spotting Ukrainian army movements.

"That means Ukrainian troops have been able to get into good fire positions for ambushes, and they have been able to do a lot of damage this way."

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How much is down to Russian incompetence?

According to Oryx's figures, half of the tanks Russia has lost have not been destroyed or damaged by the enemy but have been captured or abandoned.

Experts put this down to logistical failures, and incompetence by Russian troops.

"You've seen pictures of Russian tanks being dragged off by Ukrainian farmers' tractors," says Prof O'Brien.

"Some of those tanks were abandoned because they ran out of fuel. That's a logistical failure. Some got stuck in the springtime mud, because the high command invaded at the wrong time of year."

"Russia's ground forces are made up of a lot of conscripts and recruits. That makes them, in world terms, a low to medium-quality fighting force," says RUSI's Nick Reynolds.

"Many tanks have been abandoned because of bad driving. Some have been driven off bridges. Others have been driven into ditches so that the tracks have come off. The ability of the troops to use their equipment has been lacking.

"But often, soldiers have simply abandoned their vehicles and fled. So the will to fight has also been lacking."

The Ukrainian government has even issued instructions on how citizens should turn in abandoned military vehicles.

Authorities also confirmed that anyone who found such "combat trophies" did not need to declare them for tax purposes.

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    • Published

      10 April 2022

Ukraine conflict: Why is Russia losing so many tanks? (2024)

FAQs

How long before Russia runs out of tanks? ›

The Russians are also removing artillery barrels from old equipment and installing them on self-propelled howitzers. If this continues, Russia will reach a "critical point of depletion" in 2025.

How many tanks does Russia have left? ›

The IISS Military Balance 2024 report says Russia has around 1,750 tanks of various types—including more than 200 of the T-90 variety—remaining, with up to 4,000 tanks in storage.

How many tanks has Ukraine lost? ›

Moscow's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that Ukraine had lost a combined total of 16,374 tanks and other armored combat vehicles since early 2022.

How many T90s has Russia lost in Ukraine? ›

In January 2024, Ukraine's defense ministry posted footage on X of what it said was a U.S.-made Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle overwhelming a Russian T-90M tank. Overall in the war, Oryx said Russia had lost 3,235 tanks, 2,199 of which had been destroyed, 156 had been damaged, 362 abandoned and 518 captured.

Is Russia still able to produce tanks? ›

Production numbers since 2022

Since the invasion, at least 13 batches of T-90Ms have been delivered. Reports from the Russian defence sector and think tanks suggest that company-sized batches of between 11–15 tanks are being delivered.

How fast is Russia replacing tanks? ›

Russia may be replacing 100 tanks a month — but with older models, which 'smacks of absolute desperation,' expert says. Russia generates 100-plus tanks a month, largely replacing its battlefield losses, UK intel said. That rate is likely possible only if it's taking old tanks out of storage, experts told BI.

How many troops does Russia have left? ›

The Russian Armed Forces are the world's fifth largest military force, with 1.15 million active-duty personnel and close to two million reservists.

How many tanks does NATO have? ›

In 2024, the combined number of ground combat vehicles among NATO allies was around 872,500, with the majority of these being armored vehicles. A further 11,309 units were main battle tanks.

How many aircraft has Russia lost in Ukraine? ›

In total, the Russian Air Force (VVS) has so far lost 105 aircraft, according to specialized open-source intelligence site Oryx (which only counts losses verified by visual documentation). On the Ukrainian side, losses since the start of the invasion amount to 75 combat aircraft.

How much artillery does Russia have left? ›

Russia has staggering amounts of artillery, both in the field and in reserve. A February 2024 report from RUSI estimated that Russia had just under 5,000 artillery pieces in the field, of which about 1,000 are self-propelled guns on tracked vehicles, the rest being old-fashioned towed artillery.

How many Abrams have been lost in Ukraine? ›

The 67-tonne Abrams, with its fuel-guzzling gas turbine engine, has proven easy to detect on the battlefield, and five of the 31 have already been lost – most recently in the Ukrainian retreat from Avdiivka.

What is the strongest tank in the world? ›

Korean K2 Black Panther

Peter Suciu has described this MBT as the world's greatest MBT. It has an excellent engine, incredible defenses, a potent 120mm smoothbore gun that can fire up to 10 to 15 rounds per minute.

Is the T-90 better than the Abrams? ›

The T-90M Proryv "seems impressive, but Russian tanks always look good until they are actually used in combat," according to military technology and defense expert Michael Peck. However, "unless battlefield experience proves otherwise, I would rate the M1A2 [Abrams] superior by far to the T-90M," he told Newsweek.

Why is Russia using T-62 tanks? ›

The 41-ton, four-person T-62s have the benefit of being abundant and, compared to newer tanks, fairly simple—making them more economical to recover and refurbish after decades in open storage.

How many tanks can Russia build in a year? ›

According to the combined assessment, Russian industry is generating just 390 tanks a year. Meaning it may have built or restored just 780 tanks in 2022 and 2023. If that's true, then the Russian armed forces might be down to just 1,180 tanks.

How many tanks does Russia have in storage? ›

But Russia had thousands of tanks in storage which it has been forced to use as the war dragged on far beyond what the Kremlin initially envisaged. A September 2023 report by the Institut Action Résilience using OSINT data calculated Russia has an estimated maximum of 7,000 tanks in storage.

Can Russia replace lost equipment? ›

While the recruitment of many volunteers has improved the manpower situation, equipment losses look more difficult to sustain. Replacing equipment at sufficient volume and pace will be challenging, and Russia will struggle to conduct combined-arms operations beyond the company level effectively.

Is Russia running out of armored vehicles? ›

Russia has sustained high losses of tanks since President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine more than two years ago, and may have just a few thousand of the armored fighting vehicles left, artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of satellite imagery suggests.

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