The first of several hundred 70-year-old Soviet-era Russian tanks appears to have been deployed to Ukraine, where the Kremlin is desperately replenishing its depleted resources.
A photo emerged on Friday showing a Soviet T-55 tank located in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine, weeks after it was videotaped on its way to the war-torn country.
The tank pictured appears to be from the 1950s and shows no recent upgrades – suggesting that Russia is shipping out worn out machinery in an effort to aid its war effort.
The news comes after the arrival of the first German Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 battle tanks in Ukraine to take on Vladimir Putin’s invaders.
The news will give Kiev forces a boost ahead of an expected Ukraine offensive, which could be a major turning point in the war.
The photo that emerged on Friday shows a Soviet T-55 tank located in Zaporizhia, a region in southern Ukraine.
It appears that Russian T-55 tanks have been taken out of storage and deployed to Ukraine. They were last filmed in Arsenyev, Primorsky Territory
Old Soviet stores estimate that the number of tanks withdrawn with outdated technology and machinery may be around 300.
Forbes reports that the photo shows the same active infrared optics that the T-55 had in the 1950s and does not appear to show any upgraded or enhanced armor.
Instead, Soviet-era tanks will have to fight in war-torn Ukraine with their original thin sheets of steel armor.
Retired Australian Army General Mick Ryan highlighted the mismatched tanks in his recent Substack newsletter.
The Ukrainians, through an infusion of Western aid, have improved the quality of their tanks and other vehicles.
The Russians, having lost much of their best equipment in the first year of the war, are turning to much older tanks and armored vehicles taken from Cold War stores.
He stressed that this will have a significant impact on the battlefield “not only because of the age and technological disparity of the vehicles” but also because Russian forces will know they are not competitive when faced with more modern technologies.
Imagine that you are a tank crew of an old Russian tank, three to four times your age. Then imagine that you are told that you will be facing the latest western tanks.
“No matter what the ridiculous Russian propaganda tells us, this will have a huge impact on Russian morale.”
The old T-55 originally went into production under Nikita Khrushchev in 1958. The tank grew out of a generation of weapons developed from World War II before the now standard equipment.
The main shortcomings of these tanks, analysts cite the lack of rangefinders, ballistic computers, primitive sights and proper gun stability.
Outdated Soviet-era T-55 tanks are pictured on a train that has been ferried across Russia, heading to the front lines of the war in Ukraine last month.
T-54/T-55 vs T-62: Reports from Russia suggest Vladimir Putin is bringing Soviet-era tank models out of retirement and storage to boost his heavy armor numbers in Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers return from heavy fighting amid Russia’s offensive into Ukraine, near Pakhmut, Ukraine, April 14, 2023.
Ukrainian soldiers return from heavy fighting amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near Pakhmut, Ukraine, April 15, 2023
The deployment points to a serious problem for the Kremlin and the supply of armored vehicles to Russian forces.
Russia, as well as Ukraine, has relied heavily on Ukraine’s Soviet-era T-72 tanks, which have been destroyed by the thousands in over a year of fighting.
Russia has also deployed about 1,000 of its advanced T-90 tanks in Ukraine, compared to about 5,000 T-72s. Meant to be one of the best tanks in the world, the £4m T-90 has upgraded armor and missile protection systems – compared to the T-72 – which in theory makes them much harder to destroy.
This comes after the first British Challenger 2 battle tank arrived in Ukraine last month.
The United Kingdom announced in January that it would send 14 tanks to Ukraine, where it is preparing for a possible counterattack against Russian forces.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov wrote on Twitter that the tanks had ‘recently arrived in our country’ and posted a video showing him sitting in a long line of tanks in an open field, all flying the yellow and blue flag of Ukraine.
`It was a great pleasure to take on the first Ukrainian Challenger 2 MBT (Main Battle Tank),’ wrote Reznikov. “These magnificent machines will soon begin their combat missions,” he added, referring to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as well as Wallace.
In the video, he gives the thumbs up and thanks British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace for the tanks, as they tear around the muddy field.
