Russian tank reserves dwindle as aging models hit Ukraine front
The Russians are encountering growing difficulties in replenishing their losses in Ukraine, particularly in terms of tanks. This is illustrated by the rapidly dwindling stockpiles in warehouses where Soviet-era equipment has been stored for years, such as the base in Bui in the Kostroma region.
It is estimated that since the beginning of the conflict, the Ukrainians have already eliminated over 3,500 invading tanks. These figures are reported by the creators of the Oryx blog, who document Russian equipment losses. In reality, Russian losses may be even greater because not every destroyed or damaged tank is captured on video or in photographs.
The warehouses in Bui are depleted
Although the Russian economy was initially switched to a war footing and managed to cope well with Western sanctions by systematically supplying Putin’s army with more tanks, growing problems with the production of new tanks have been noticed in recent months. The situation regarding retrieving old equipment from warehouses is also beginning to look grim because they are running out of tanks suitable for refurbishment and deployment to the front, or even for sourcing components for machines already in service.
The base in Bui in the Kostroma region further confirms this. An OSINT analyst running the popular YouTube account Covert Cabal estimated the numbers over recent years compared to now. Satellite images from this year reveal that only 100 tanks remain there. On the eve of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there were as many as 760, and by mid-2023, about 480. The analyst noted that even many tanks stored in parts of the base reserved for semi-dismantled and clearly non-functional machines have been removed.
Old tanks in Russian service
Incomplete tanks can act as "donors of spare parts." The base in Bui in the Kostroma region was seen before the war as one of the larger locations where the Russians stored Soviet armoured vehicles and tanks, including the T-80.
Reports from the front in Ukraine indicate that the Russians are now using even older tanks without hesitation. The T-80 tanks began production in 1976, characterised by their gas turbine engines. Meanwhile, Ukrainian territories are also witnessing the presence of the T-62M and T-62, and even tanks like the T-55, whose production began in 1958. These are equipped with a 100 mm cannon, lack modern systems and optics, and therefore do not provide the crew with adequate situational awareness. They also have very weak armour, unsuitable for today’s conditions.
