Why is Russia's tank fleet depleting over the course of the war?

Is Russia almost certain to run out of tanks in Ukraine? Military analysts are puzzled as to why Russia is losing so many tanks in Ukraine. In this story, we look at what is driving Russia to drastically exhaust its tank stockpile and how it may affect their military operations in Ukraine. ❌🚜🚜❌

• Along a muddy road, a Russian tank clanks. The enemy would take this path to reach their next target; Ukrainian soldiers were informed by intelligence. The Ukrainians laugh as they watch a rusted-out tank from the Soviet era emerge over a hilltop as they prepare to spring their ambush. Hundreds of Russia's top tanks have been destroyed or taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces since the start of the conflict. In order to strengthen the ranks of Russia's armored forces following the devastating losses it suffered in the opening few months of combat, these antiquated machines have been exhumed from mothball storage. In our scenario, the Ukrainian strike force sights the tank with their FGM-148 javelin.
• How did Russia get into this situation, and where have all of its tanks gone? The tank suddenly comes to a stop. The turret starts to pivot so that it is facing the Ukrainian strike force directly. They have been discovered. The firing order is yelled out by the commander. The Javelin missile takes off toward the sky. The T-62 attempts to fire, but the shell gets stuck in the barrel, making a loud click. The tank is nearly completely useless as a result of time and neglect. A few seconds later, the Javelin drops from the sky and explodes atop the Russian tank. The Ukrainian soldiers gather their equipment and move on to their next objective as another piece of armor is destroyed. We will cover all of them as this program progresses. Russia has run out of modern tanks and has been forced to bolster its army with Cold War stockpiles.
• Since the invasion of the Ukrainian nation began in February 2022, situations of this kind have taken place all over the Ukrainian battlefield. Putin really believed that Russia could simply cross the border and seize Ukraine, but this is not what actually happened. Over 2,800 tanks were claimed by Russia at the outset of the conflict. But right now, we see that old armored vehicles are being retrieved from storage to resupply the Russian battalions. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the main tanks used were the T-72s, which were already decades old. Hundreds of Soviet-era tanks have been loaded onto railcars and transported to the front lines. Although not nearly as many as the T-72, newer tanks have also been put into service.
• Putin was forewarned by military advisers prior to the start of the conflict that if the Russian military's full might wasn't used in the initial invasion, they might run into trouble later, and this is exactly what transpired. Ukrainian forces were able to capture Russian tanks and use them for their own purposes in addition to destroying them thanks to their hit-and-run strategy. And it's becoming increasingly obvious how much trouble Russia is in as the conflict rapidly approaches one year since it started. The T-72's predecessor being taken out of storage and deployed to the front lines was seen in a video, which amply demonstrated this fact. The virtually out-of-date T-62 tank is the one that is currently making an appearance in the conflict.
• It's odd that Russia would choose to use a T-62 tank when it has roughly 10,000 other, more modern tanks in storage. Therefore, why is Russia bringing one of its oldest tanks out of retirement? The answer to this question is so embarrassing that even Putin must be aware of how foolish he appears. The issue is that although the T-64s, T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s are all more modern than the T-62s, the Russians have hundreds of thousands or even millions of them. Since the tanks have been neglected for so long, extensive repairs are required for the more recent models, which have more complex components. The T-62s, on the other hand, were created using technology from the Soviet era and have fewer electronics and moving parts.
• Some T-62s have been able to last for decades without requiring the maintenance that modern tanks do because of their simplicity. Many of the more advanced tanks that followed the T-62s are thought to be beyond repair. The fact that Russia has a large number of T-62s in storage is another advantage the T-62s have. The fact that there were so many of these tanks built during the height of the Cold War suggests that at least a few of them were discovered with only minor rust or corrosion damage. Russia's most modern tank to date, the T-14 Armata, hasn't even started to leave the factory in any appreciable numbers yet, which is even more unfortunate.
• These tanks were going to be the main armored force for Russia in upcoming battles, and they were going to be purchased by the thousands, going back several years. But no production ever started. Around 40 T-14s from Russia are thought to be participating in the conflict, which isn't nearly enough to have a significant impact. Putin gave the go-ahead to build more tanks, but it's already too late. The production of the T-14s has ceased due to harsh sanctions and a lack of resources. It is not encouraging for Russia's war effort that they are currently using tanks that were beginning to be retired in 1975. Vladimir Putin and his army are currently looking for ways to restock their armored division for a variety of reasons.
• While a lot of it has to do with Ukrainian ideology and their refusal to cede their nation, Russia has also made some serious mistakes that they are now paying dearly for. As Russia starts pulling outdated tanks out of deep storage, things are worse than they seem. When tanks like the T-62 were retired, they were either parked outside or placed in enormous warehouses, where the weather quickly started to corrode them. Even the large structures housing the sealed-off tanks received no maintenance. The Russian military must comb through thousands of decommissioned tanks to find ones that function well enough to be deployed to the front lines, so the pickings are slim.
• As they place more retired tanks on the front lines, Russia is currently experiencing a tank crisis. They will eventually run out of functional tanks, and it is only a matter of time before these results in catastrophe. It is hypothesized that the Soviet-era tanks are only in use while new tanks are being produced. However, as we all know, these new tanks might never appear. The result has been a serious crisis for the Russian military. In order to restock its troop strength, supplies, and armor, it has retreated and fortified its positions along the Donbas region's borders. According to estimates, since the conflict started, Ukrainian forces have destroyed at least four Russian tanks every day.
• Obviously, more tanks are lost on days with heavy fighting than on days with lighter fighting. Over 8,400 vehicles and pieces of equipment have reportedly been lost by the Russian military since the conflict started, according to recent estimates. This number includes approximately 1,500 tanks, all of which Ukrainian forces have either destroyed completely or captured. Officials in the Russian military must be feeling extremely humiliated and in danger at this point. These statistics indicate that the invasion has been a colossal failure so far, which is something Putin does not take well. The number of losses for Russia will only rise as it begins to resupply its battalions with outdated tanks.
• The Ukrainian military is able to continue using its current tactics while eliminating more of Russia's armored divisions because less sophisticated tanks are easier targets. Why Ukrainian troops are so successful against Russian tanks some of the explanations are fairly obvious, while others are almost unbelievable. The effectiveness of the Ukrainian military is largely a result of the high caliber of their equipment. The necessary equipment and weapons are by no means completely stocked in Ukraine. They beg NATO to send them more military supplies, such as anti-tank weapons, on a constant basis. Ukraine must get ready for another Russian offensive as the next phase of the war gets under way.
• And given the current state of affairs, it appears that Russia will launch yet another attack using tanks and artillery after bombarding major cities and the infrastructure of Ukraine with missiles and kamikaze drones. Ukraine has survived so far by using its resources. The U.S. military has used a number of weapons that have been successful in reducing the number of Russian tanks on the battlefield. FGM-148 javelin made by Sdot over 4,000 javelins have been given to Ukrainian forces since the war started, and more are reportedly on their way there in the upcoming months. The missile's deployment strategy is what makes these weapons so potent against any type of tank.
• A tank can be obliterated by a single javelin shot from a Ukrainian soldier. This is pretty amazing considering that stopping a Russian tank from moving across the battlefield without this weapon might require an entire unit and some heavy artillery. The Javelins missile is designed to launch from an ark, allowing it to hit the top of a tank, which has the thinnest armor. Accordingly, there is a good chance that a Russian tank will be rendered immobile or sustain significant damage every time a Javelin is fired in Ukraine. The Javelin is too strong for even the most advanced tanks with reactive armor to deflect a missile's impact. This is due to the fact that each missile has two warheads.
• The disruptive armor is damaged by the first explosion, allowing the second warhead to hit the tank's chassis with all of its power. One of the main reasons Russian tanks struggle against Ukrainian troops is that this one-two punch is devastating for any armored vehicle that the missile strikes. In addition to the javelins that the US has sent, Britain is also sending next-generation light anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. With the help of the tens of thousands of anti-tank weapons that have already been given to Ukrainian forces, they have been able to make a significant dent in the number of tanks that Putin can field.