TechRussia dispatches advanced T-90M tanks in significant military push

Russia dispatches advanced T‑90M tanks in significant military push

T-90M heading to Ukraine - illustrative photo
T-90M heading to Ukraine - illustrative photo
Images source: © X
Norbert Garbarek

16 May 2024 11:44

The Russians have sent another batch of T-90M Proryv tanks to the front, reports the portal Bulgarian Military, citing a press release from the Russian Ministry of Defense. This is the first time in 2024 that the Russians have officially stated exactly how many tanks have been sent to fight.

Many of the pieces of information provided by Russian media or government representatives are part of propaganda. Such reports are components of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.

Although the Russian Federation's army regularly loses a significant amount of equipment, the local arms industry continues to send more machines to the front. These are not always the latest vehicles capable of duelling with modern Western equipment. Sometimes, these are worn-out and inappropriate constructions by today's standards, such as the T-62 tanks sent in mid-March 2024.

Recently, however, the Russians have been "flooding" Ukraine with some of the most advanced vehicles currently in production, which is a bad sign for Kyiv, confirming significant production efficiency. In recent weeks, UralVagonZavod has reported multiple times about sending T-90M Proryv tanks to the front.

Up until now, since the beginning of 2024, the Russian Federation has not provided a specific number of units sent to the front. Now – for the first time – it is known how many machines were in the latest transport delivered to aggressor soldiers on Wednesday, May 15. The latest support includes as many as 23 T-90M Proryv tanks.

Factories working at full capacity

"It is clear that UralVagonZavod is working at full throttle," reads the Bulgarian Military portal, highlighting that the production plant has been sending more machines to combat more frequently recently. At the same time, the third batch of tanks sent within six weeks confirms the British intelligence reports, which state that the Russian arms industry is currently at a stage that meets the Russian demand for tanks.

It is worth noting, however, that not all of the recently delivered 23 vehicles must be brand-new tanks. Some machines may come from repairs of those damaged during battles. This means that some broken T-90M tanks on the front do not have to be written off. The Russians can restore them to operational condition and send them back to the front. Bulgarian Military emphasizes that the Ukrainian arms industry has not developed such capabilities in tank repairs as the Russians have.

Let's recall that the T-90M Proryv, described by Putin as "the best tank in the world", is one of the most dangerous vehicles currently in the arsenal of the Russian Federation. While it is still not directly competitive with the latest Western designs, it is a real threat to the defending army. This is primarily due to the presence of Relikt reactive armour, which protects the 3-person crew much better compared to older designs.

The defensive capabilities of the T-90M are ensured by a 2A46M-5 smoothbore gun calibre 125 mm, supported by the modern Kalina fire control system. The mobility of the Proryv is thanks to a 1000-horsepower engine that propels the vehicle to a speed of 64 km/h.