Kyiv claims that in a single day of fighting last week, Ukrainian forces destroyed 13 Russian tanks and 37 artillery systems. The claims have not been independently verified. Meanwhile, Russian state media tried to provide video evidence of destroyed Leopard 2s, but the footage turned out to be of Ukrainian farming equipment. Moscow has been mocked across social media for its poor propaganda effort.
Russian Losses Have Been High
Though it is entirely possible, and even likely, that Kyiv has padded the numbers, there is no denying that the Kremlin has suffered steep losses in material and personnel over the course of the war.
Artillery has played a crucial role in the operations for both sides, Newsweek reported. Artillery duels have been commonplace along the front — so much so that both Moscow and Kyiv have faced ordnance shortages. However, Kyiv has been able to turn to the West for supplies and for aid in keeping its big guns maintained, while Moscow has been forced to turn to North Korea to acquire vintage shells. Both sides have also pressed into service older platforms dating back to the Cold War.
While Ukraine’s claims of total Russian tank losses of 3,873 as of Wednesday might be inflated, the exaggeration may only be slight. Independent open-source intelligence has been tracking the damage, and earlier this year, the Kremlin’s tank losses had greatly exceeded 2,000 tanks. That number included only tanks that had been confirmed lost via video and photos.
The Dutch open-source outlet Oryx has confirmed the destruction of 1,246 Russian tanks, while another 544 have been captured by Ukraine.
The numbers are probably growing, especially as older platforms including the T-62 are rushed into service. These Cold War-era tanks are ill-suited for a modern battlefield where drones and man-portable anti-tank weapons have proven deadly against more modern vehicles.
Old Tanks
Last year, Moscow began to deploy the T-62, along with even older T-54/55 series tanks, to the frontlines. Russia needed to bolster its numbers after steep losses of T-72, T-84, and T-90 tanks. Russia had maintained one of the largest stockpiles of older tanks in the world, but the question has lingered as to how many are actually serviceable.
The shortage of Russian tanks is evident beyond the battlefield. In May, Russia rolled out a single T-34 in its Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square to mark the anniversary of the Red Army’s defeat of Nazi Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin was widely mocked on social media for that show of force.
Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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