Russia's tank reserves expected to deplete by 2025, experts warn
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 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, on the other hand, claims that the tanks remaining in warehouses will be sufficient for the aggressor's army only until 2025. "They still have T-55s, but they've almost lost the T-62s," the expert says, noting that these are old tanks that are losing significance today as they are very easy targets on the front line.
Musienko believes that Russia has enough tanks to conduct an offensive in 2025, but in the following years, storage problems will start to arise. – Regarding storage levels, Russia has enough for 2025 and that's it. In 2026, there will be nothing left to store; there will be no tanks – he claims. This means that problems in the Russian arsenal are a matter of the next several months, according to the Ukrainian expert.
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 throughout 2024, and these 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. Although this tank has impressive combat capabilities that theoretically make it outstanding on the battlefield, in practice, 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 armoured units and infantry. The crew protection system relies on Relikt reactive armour, resisting drone attacks and missiles aimed at the tank. The T-90M can reach a top speed of 70 km/h, enabling rapid movement on the battlefield.
