Russian army suffered the loss of more than 7,000 tanks and armored combat vehicles since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, British Intelligence reported in its daily update on the Russo-Ukrainian war on 29 January.
From 24 February 2022 to 25 January 2024, Russian Ground Forces likely lost approximately 2,600 main battle tanks and 4,900 other armored combat vehicles in Ukraine, British Intel reported.
At the same time, Russian losses of tanks and armored vehicles decreased last year compared to the first year of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian Ground Forces lost around 40% fewer vehicles in 2023 than in 2022, according to British Intel.
“It is highly likely that the reduction in armored vehicle attrition rates was due to the increasingly positional nature of the conflict in 2023 and because Russia spent a significant proportion of the year in a defensive posture,” British Intel’s update stated.
Since October 2023, when Russian Ground Forces have been on the offensive in eastern Ukraine, Russian armored vehicle losses skyrocketed, according to British Intel. Over the past four months, Russian Ground Forces have likely lost up to 365 main battle tanks and 700 armored combat vehicles but achieved minor territorial gains, British Intel reported.
However, according to British Intel, Russia can probably generate (manufacture and repair) around 100 main battle tanks each month and retains the capacity to replenish battlefield losses partially. Russia can continue the current offensive activity “for the foreseeable future,” the British Intel concluded.
The Russian army is running out of tanks rapidly due to heavy fighting in Ukraine. Russian losses skyrocketed in October 2023, when Russia launched a massive onslaught on the Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka in the Donetsk Oblast (eastern Ukraine), which is still ongoing. Significantly increased Russian tank losses on the battlefield during the Avdiivka offensive are confirmed by several independent OSINT analysts who document Ukrainian and Russian military equipment losses based on photo and videographic evidence.
Russian losses far exceed the rate of tank production and repair. According to the Director of the Ukrainian Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, Valentyn Badrak, Russia can produce about 150 new tanks a year. Thus, to compensate for heavy losses on the battlefield, Russia must remove Soviet-era equipment from storage bases. However, even enormous Soviet stockpiles of armor are not infinite.
Related:
- Ukraine’s Security Service says it destroyed over 500 Russian tanks in 2023
- British Intel: Avdiivka likely to remain in Ukrainian control over coming weeks
- British Intel: Russia intensifies its assault along frontline, suffers more losses
