Russians resort to archaic tanks in Ukraine, marking potential downfall in mobilisation
The Ukrainian National Guard shared the recording on their Telegram profile. "The enemy tried to shell Ukrainian military positions with tanks, but FPV drones from the Spartan brigade foiled these attempts. In just one successful day, the guardsmen destroyed the T-72 and T-55 enemy tanks," they wrote.
T-72s are tanks that started being produced in 1973. Even the earliest models are still effective in the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, the situation with the T-55 is different. These tanks, which date back to 1958, have weak armour and limited offensive capabilities due to a lack of modern sensors and optics, among other issues. They were originally fitted with 100-mm guns.
T-72 and T-55 eliminated with the help of a drone
The Defence Express portal highlights that the Russians are aware of the dangers of using such outdated tanks. The T-55s are typically used only for fire support, often hurriedly transformed into makeshift self-propelled guns stationed in dugout positions. Also, there have been cases of using the oldest armoured vehicles and tanks as kamikaze vehicles, but often with disappointing results.
Increase in old tanks in Ukraine
The sight of a T-55 in open space usually spells doom for both the tank and its crew. This was the case here too. The armour of this tank is insufficient, not just against calls from other, newer armoured vehicles but it also fails to guarantee survival when confronted by an FPV drone. As a Polish expert recently explained, better-protected tanks pose a much more challenging target for small drones.
The fact that the Russians have been bringing reinforcements in the form of T-55s or T-62s was documented for the first time a few months ago. Lately, however, more transports of such tanks have been noticed (one was recorded in Crimea at the start of this year), as well as their increased use by Putin's soldiers.
This might suggest a decline in Russian production and mobilisation capabilities. In one of its communiques, the British Ministry of Defence reported that since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Putin's army has already lost about 2,600 tanks and approximately 4,900 other armoured vehicles.
