The disaster of Russian tanks in Ukraine: these are the current figures of their losses

Although the focus of world attention has been fixed on the Middle East due to the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, the war continues in Ukraine.

The total destruction of the most modern tank that Russia is using in Ukraine
The mystery of the T-14 Armata and the old tanks that Russia is sending to the front

Russia has lost 28 more tanks in the last week

The Russian invasion that began on February 24, 2022 is having a disastrous result for Russia in regards to its armored vehicles. The Russians have suffered heavy losses in recent days. Jakub Janovsky, contributor to the website Oryxspioenkop.com (which has been visually documenting the losses of both sides since the beginning of the invasion), has posted two loss updates this week, totaling 28 more tanks lost to the Russians and an even larger number of infantry fighting vehicles and armored transport vehicles. This week's figures include the loss of 5 T-80s of various types, one of the most modern tank models in the Russian army, which has more units of the T-80 than the more modern T- 90.

Russian losses already amount to 2,389 tanks

This Sunday, Janovsky published a Twitter thread reviewing the figures of Russian tank losses since the start of the invasion. Let us keep in mind that we are not talking about estimates, but rather losses documented with graphic material. The numbers are so large that one wonders how Russia hopes to replace these losses, which will end up seriously affecting the capabilities of its army.

Russian tank loss figures compiled today by Janovsky are as follows:

• 2 T-55.
• 84 T-62.
• 70 T-64.
• More than 1,100 T-72.
• More than 630 T-80.
• 87 T-90.
• 279 unidentified tanks.

As of today, Oryxspioenkop.com totals 2,389 tanks lost by the Russians in Ukraine. These are considerable figures, especially if we take into account that Russia ended 2022 with the figure of 1,600 tanks lost in Ukraine, that is, so far in 2023, Russia has lost another 789 tanks. A lower figure than last year, perhaps because the operations in which Russia suffered the most considerable losses were those at the beginning of the invasion.

Russia has had to resort to obsolete tanks to cover its losses

Pro-Russian propagandists usually downplay these losses by assuring that Russia has colossal reserves and that these losses would be proportionally insignificant. It is true that Russia has large reserves of tanks, but they are very old models and in many cases they are not operational. It is significant, in fact, that the Russian army had to resort to such obsolete tanks as the T-55 and T-62 to cover its losses of more modern tanks in the invasion of Ukraine.

Before the invasion, Russia had between 2,609 and 2,849 active tanks

On the other hand, let us remember that at the beginning of the invasion Russia had between 2,609 and 2,849 tanks in its standing army, so those 2,389 tanks lost are equivalent to between 83, 85% and 91.56% of its active armored fleetas of February 2022. Obviously, the unknown number of older tanks removed by Russia from its warehouses and the new tanks - not many, due to Western sanctions - put into service, but despite this, we are talking about enormous loss figures.

The famous and modern T-14 Armata still does not appear

To complete this disaster, the famous and modern T-14 Armata still does not appear, months after the Kremlin announced its deployment. An absence that reinforces the information that points out its technical failures. Many pro-Russian propagandists had pinned their hopes on the T-14 Armata to counter the modern Western tanks that Ukraine is receiving, but so far not a single image of the T-14 participating in this invasion has been published. Everything indicates that its announced deployment in Ukraine was a mere propaganda operation, as I already pointed out here.

Ukraine has captured and received many more tanks than it has lost

Compared to Russian losses, Ukrainian losses are very minor. According to Oryxspioenkop.com, Ukraine has lost 664 tanks so far. It is a considerable figure for an army like the Ukrainian one, but it must be taken into account that according to the same website, Ukraine has captured 550 Russian tanks and, in addition, has received more than 700 tanks donated by other countries. Ukraine is having a much easier time than Russia in replacing its losses and, furthermore, with more modern tanks. And the American M1 Abrams is yet to come into action, which could tip the balance even further in favor of the Ukrainian forces.

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Main photo: A Russian T-73B3 tank destroyed in Ukraine in May 2023.