Russia's tank reserves dwindling amid production struggles

Russian forces – despite repelling successive attacks by the Ukrainians – continuously move the front line forward. This is because the Russian Federation's army is constantly producing modern missiles with which it bombards Ukrainian positions. Recently identified wreckage of Russian missiles in the defender's country proved that the aggressor's army now primarily uses ammunition from current production – it no longer has reserves in warehouses.

However, gaining an advantage on the front is also achieved through using vehicles; in this case, the situation for the Russians is not the best. Forbes calculated (based on analysis published by the Vischchun portal) that Russia has reserves of tanks and armoured vehicles only until mid-2025. This is due to the insufficiently efficient production of the arms factories. Over the course of a year, Russian factories are supposed to produce between 500 and 600 tanks and about 1,000 combat vehicles – these numbers, however, do not cover the annual losses incurred by Russia in Ukraine. These are estimated at more than 1,000 tanks and 2,000 armoured vehicles annually.

"Russian force in Ukraine is bigger than ever. Over the past year, Russia increased its front-line troop strength from 360,000 to 470,000" – we read. Although this is a significant achievement for the Russians, Forbes points out that Russian soldiers die shortly after arriving in Ukraine.

Forbes reports suggest that the pace of losses on the Russian side is increasing, and factories are not keeping up with rebuilding the lost machines. So far, the army has been replenishing its equipment shortages with Soviet-era equipment from the 1970s, 1960s, and even the 1950s of the last century, but the number of these machines is limited. Their effectiveness leaves much to be desired.

Therefore, Estonian analyst and soldier Artur Rehi writes on the X platform, "Russia's time is coming to an end." By mid-next year, the Russian Federation's warehouses will no longer hold tanks and armoured vehicles, and current production will not cover the losses. Russia may be left without valuable machines.

Let's recall that in recent times, transports of Russian tanks heading straight to Ukraine have been seen multiple times. The outdated T-62M versions (an upgraded version of the basic T-62) were visible in numerous photos and recordings. These machines are equipped with a laser rangefinder and an improved fire control system, allowing for firing at enemy units with 9K116-2 Szeksna 115mm calibre shells. The armour of the T-62M does not meet today's standards, which means the tank is defenceless against most Western designs (also small handheld guided missile launchers).

Sometimes, recordings from Russia also show the transport to the front of modern T-90M Proryv tanks. These, in turn, are some of the best designs used by the Russians. They use reactive armour Relikt, intended to improve the safety of the turret and hull. Besides, the T-90M is armed with a smoothbore 2A46M-5 125mm calibre gun, which is capable of threatening machines used by the Ukrainians.