Russian tank losses surge as strategic blunders aid Ukrainian defence

According to the latest data, the Russians are losing an increasing number of tanks at a pace that prevents replenishing losses from current production. Experts' calculations indicate that for three months—from March to May this year—the Russian Federation Army lost nearly 400 tanks per month, which is as much as 70 percent more than in the first two years of the war.

Although these figures contrast with more pessimistic numbers for Ukraine and the West, which state that after years of conducting the war, the Russians managed to "aggressively rebuild their forces" and "ramp up" their defence industry to the highest levels, the numerous daily losses should not be ignored. Julian Röpcke notes that such significant losses also result from the fact that the Russians themselves are making it easier for Ukrainians. The former makes a small mistake that costs them enormous amounts of money.

Not far from kamikaze drones at the front, landmines are also quite popular. They are meant to immobilise a vehicle and, as a result, take it out of combat for a shorter or longer period.

However, the problem is that even older Soviet-era designs are relatively resistant to this type of weapon—mines do not guarantee 100-percent effectiveness in terms of detonating a vehicle that runs over them—especially in the case of tanks or other heavily armoured vehicles.

Mines typically immobilise equipment by, for example, damaging the tracks. In such a situation, the crew of the stopped vehicle decides to evacuate—and this stage is critical, notes Julian Röpcke. The analyst explains that the Russians often leave the hatch open in the vehicle during evacuation. This, in turn, is a significant advantage for Ukrainian drone operators, who have a clear path to strike the most "sensitive" part of the tank. Hitting it with a drone or dropping an explosive charge inside the vehicle almost always ends the same way—with a powerful explosion.

If the hatch were closed, destroying the tank would be much more difficult, emphasizes Röpcke. The journalist discusses this Russian mistake mainly with the recent example of one of the Russian so-called "turtle tanks, which are generally a more difficult target than vehicles without additional shielding built on them. However, he notes that this is not an isolated case, and the Russians "lose equipment daily in such scenarios". This is likely due to the panic accompanying the soldiers during evacuation.

In light of the mistakes made by the Russians, even heavily armoured constructions like the aforementioned turtle tanks become defenceless. Let us recall that the Russian Federation Army began using such modernised vehicles only in April this year. Under numerous layers of armour plates, Ukraine's opponent places, among other things, electronic warfare systems designed to jam incoming drones. Photos from the front have also shown that the Russians are using turtle tanks to remove mines from roads.