Russia Has Lost 1,000 or More T-80 Tanks in Ukraine (We Call Them Steel Coffins)

Ukraine has destroyed perhaps as many as 8,000 Russian tanks since the war started. One Russian model that has struggled mightily is the T-80 main battle tank. An estimated 1,000 T-80s have been taken out by the Ukrainians, who often use first person view (FPV) drones that dive at the vulnerable T-80 turret.

Anti-tank missiles have scored many hits, too, and the Ukrainians also use conventional artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems to beat up on the T-80.

Russia T-80 Tank

T-80s Were Designed to Bring the Fight to the Americans and Their Allies 

The T-80 is a Soviet-era tank that was designed for a war with the United States and NATO. Its ideal mission was similar to the T-72: mass the tanks to quickly rush through the Fulda Gap in Germany and prey on unsuspecting American and allied armor. This would punch a large hole in defenses. Armored personnel carriers (APCs) could then deliver infantry to push the assault forward. Finally, the Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces would try their hand at blasting the Americans and NATO forces with attack helicopters, ground strikes from fighter jets, and mobile artillery.

Ukraine Was Wise to That Game

The T-80 in Ukraine was supposed to conduct just such lightning attacks, but the Russians were in for a surprise. Javelin anti-tank missiles and unmanned loitering munitions took their toll. Plus, the Russians sat vulnerable on roads, long columns of tanks and APCs rolling slowly into position. 

The Ukrainians simply destroyed tanks like the T-80 at the front of the columns and in the rear. This slowed down Russia’s initial advance and created traffic jams. The armored surge was supposed to take Kyiv in the early days of the war, but a decisive victory didn’t happen, and the T-80 has struggled since.

More About the T-80

The T-80 evolved from the Soviet T-64. It was the first Soviet tank to have a gas turbine engine – the GTD 1000. This pushed out a good speed of 40 miles per hour on roads. The Russians believed the T-80 could lead a huge spearhead force and punch holes into  enemy lines. 

From 1975 to the early 2000s, the Russians pumped out as many as 10,000 T-80s. There were also variants. The T-80B added improvements to the gun, armor, and mobility. The T-80U has explosive reactive armor and a more powerful 1,250-horsepower gas-turbine engine.

T-80 Performed Poorly in Chechnya

The problems started during the first war in Chechnya in the 1990s. The T-80 had a weak turret with underenforced armor at the top. The operators were not used to urban warfare, and as they streamed through streets in the cities, the Chechens dropped explosives on the turrets from roofs, blowing up ammunition inside the tanks. Eighty-four T-80s served in the first Battle of Grozny, and 18 were lost.

In Ukraine, the Russians have found the T-80 to be a fuel hog, and its range has decreased to only 300 miles. This has hurt the main concept of use for the tank – that of leading a massive effort to punch holes through enemy lines and create havoc deep in the rear echelons. The T-80 has never made it that far and has been eaten alive by the Ukrainians.

Like the T-72, the T-80 was originally hand-loaded by the crew. The Russians then installed the carousel auto-loader inside, but it has not helped. The loading process is still slow and cumbersome. Plus, this part of the tank is not heavily armored, and one spark from a drone or anti-tank missile hit can cause an inferno as rounds explode. This causes the turret of the T-80 to jump in the air as the rest of the tank burns. This “turret toss” has plagued the T-80 since the beginning of the war. Russian crews have nicknamed the tank the “steel coffin.”

T-80BVM ‘Bunny’ Tank

The invaders have deployed more than 90 percent of all their T-80s to the battlefield. Damaged tanks are sent back to the factory, repaired, and updated to the new T-80BVM standard that can fire depleted-uranium rounds. Workers are toiling around the clock in three shifts each day to build more T-80BVMs. The BVM is supposed to have more protections against loitering drone swarms and anti-tank missiles. But this update process is slow, and the new tanks are barely making it to the battlefield. 

The Russians need to make a decision about frontline armor tactics. The original “lightning strike” that was supposed to collapse Ukraine and allow Russia’s marauding forces to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to give up never materialized. Trying to blast through the enemy trench system has been a failure. Drones and anti-tank missiles have dished out punishment. The only thing Russia can do is place more T-80s in reserve and allow the better T-90M to have a shot at the Ukrainians. But T-90Ms have also struggled, along with the outdated T-72. 

T-90 tank from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Russian T-90 tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

If Russia agrees to a peace deal, they will have plenty of time to assess the performance of these tanks. They may also realize that Soviet-era standard operating procedures have failed. They may want to rethink attacking Ukraine again.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.