Russia Receives New Shipment of Upgraded T-90 and T-72 Tanks
Yet this number does not come close to the estimated tank losses Moscow has sustained on the battlefield.
While the use of tanks in battle is an age-old concept, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has showcased how armored vehicles remain vital in modern warfare. The open-source intelligence tracker Oryx estimates that Moscow has lost at least a few thousand main battle tanks (MBTs) since February 2022. Ukrainian sources indicate this number could be higher, but verifying exact casualties is a difficult task in the ongoing war. From Soviet and World War II-era relics to more modern variants, Moscow has relied on its tanks to achieve its offensive war objectives. Ukraine’s stockpiles of Western-delivered anti-tank weaponry have wreaked havoc on Russia’s MBTs. With dwindling tank reserves, Moscow’s armored corps has been in trouble. However, fresh batches of T-90 and T-72 MBTs have reportedly been delivered to the Russian Army amid mounting combat losses.
According to defense outlets, Russian manufacturer Uralvagonzavod dispatched a new fleet of T-72B3 and T-90M MBTs to the Russian military on the final day of 2024. As detailed by the manufacturer, “Throughout 2024, our team worked around the clock to ensure the troops received state-of-the-art military equipment. Production volumes have steadily increased month by month. November, in particular, was a landmark month in terms of workload and output,” adding that it had successfully finished off the year by fulfilling the two major T-72 and T-90 tank contracts. In total, a production run of 280 MBTs was reported. While Uralvagonzavod and the Kremlin have played this off as a win, this number does not come close to the estimated tank losses Moscow has sustained on the battlefield since the invasion began in 2022.
Introducing the T-90
Russia’s T-90 variant was derived from a Soviet-era program tasked with developing a replacement MBT for the T-64, T-72, and T-80 tanks. Although the resulting T-90 MBT that remains in action today appears similar to its predecessors, the tank was equipped with several key upgrades that technically make it a superior platform. The latest T-90M variant, nicknamed the Proryv-3, hosts the newest improvements incorporated into the platform. Featuring a newer gun with a superior range that can fire HE, HE-FRAG, or APFSDS rounds using 125 mm ammunition, this model is more lethal than its Soviet-era counterparts.
Introducing the T-72
Like its successor, the T-72 was developed by the USSR at the height of the Cold War. This MBT platform actually represents the most widely used tank across the globe. It has been manufactured in six countries and remains in service with the armies of over thirty nations. The latest T-72B3 variant features enhancements like a new fire control system, a modernized thermal sight, and a 2A46M5 1255 smoothbore gun. Additional advanced self-protection measures are also incorporated into this variant, designed to improve the tank’s survivability.
While the latest T-72 and T-90 MBT variants may be more sophisticated than earlier models, they really have not performed well in Ukraine. The rate at which these tanks have been destroyed by Ukrainian weaponry is alarming. To make matters worse, it is doubtful that Moscow will be able to replenish its MBT stockpiles anytime soon.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.