Russian struggles with tank refurbishments hamper Ukraine's efforts

The Russian army is increasingly feeling the loss of tanks in Ukraine. Although tanks started to run short at the front, analysts reported that Russian warehouses and military depots with old tanks had not been exhausted. Most notably, the Russians have shown a reluctance to renovate T-72 tanks. What's going on?

According to data collected by the creators of the Oryx blog, whose goal is to document the equipment losses suffered by Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, the invaders are losing nearly 100 tanks per month. Although its defence industry is at total capacity, it can build no more than 50 new monthly tanks. The gap has long been filled by old tanks stored in warehouses and depots in the open air. However, the Russians are finding this increasingly difficult.

As noted on his X account by an analyst using the pseudonym Highmarsed, several months after Russia began its war with Ukraine, the stock of T-55 tanks fell by 31%, T-62 tanks by 37%, and T-80B tanks by as much as 79%. At the same time, less than 10% of T-72 tanks have been taken from warehouses and military depots.

"With enough money, time, and spare parts, it is probably possible to refurbish any tank," explained the analyst. He added that the deep renovation the Russians often have to carry out is highly time-consuming and costly. Stored T-72 tanks are most likely in deplorable condition, and the Russians have assessed that it is more cost-effective to restore the older but much simpler T-55 and T-62 tanks to operable condition. These machines are continuously being brought to the front by the Russians.

The analyst points out that the auto-loader in T-72 tanks could be particularly problematic for the Russians, as it is a relatively complex and demanding piece of equipment to repair in these armoured vehicles.

Another analyst, Richard Vereker, estimated in May of this year that the Russians had lost over 1,200 T-72 tanks in Ukraine. He noted that it is important to remember that this is a relatively extensive family of tanks that includes various models.

According to him, the most frequently seen variants of the T-72 in Ukraine are currently the T-72B, which, at over 9.5 metres in length and nearly 7 metres in width, weighs about 44 tonnes. They are equipped with a 125 mm calibre gun with a firing rate of about 6-8 rounds per minute and two machine guns—cal. 7.62 mm and cal. 12.7 mm. Their advantages include a slightly higher degree of protection (reactive armour blocks Kontakt-1) and the ability to fire a more comprehensive range of ammunition, including anti-tank guided missiles.