Summary and Key Points: Russian tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod recently delivered a new batch of T-90M "Proryv" main battle tanks (MBTs) to the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine.

-These tanks, touted as Russia's best, feature advanced systems like electronic warfare to counter drones and enhanced armor protection.

-Despite praise from President Vladimir Putin, the T-90M retains a critical design flaw—its autoloader storage can cause catastrophic turret explosions if struck.

-Over 100 T-90Ms have been lost in the war, raising questions about whether these new deliveries can offset ongoing losses. The more advanced T-14 Armata remains conspicuously absent from Russia’s strategy.

T-90M Tanks Arrive in Ukraine: Can They Reverse Russian Battlefield Losses?

A few days ago, the Russian tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod announced that it has delivered a new batch of T-90M "Proryv" main battle tanks (MBTs). The armored vehicles, touted by the Kremlin as the best tanks in service in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, are reportedly ready for rapid deployment to the front lines.

"Today, the famous military slogan 'Everything for the front­everything for victory' is relevant again as never before," said Alexander Potapov, general director of JSC Uralvagonzavod, according to a report from the Defence Blog.

"With your incredible efforts, the highest professionalism, and daily hard work, you make a significant contribution to strengthening the defense capability of our Motherland, saving the lives of thousands of soldiers of our Army," Potapov added.

The Russian defense manufacturer has steadily improved the capabilities of the T-90M, and Army Recognition reported that the MBTs are "equipped with advanced features such as electronic warfare systems designed to counter drones and technologies aimed at reducing the vehicle's visibility."

Killer Machines or Metal Coffins?

The T-90M has received high praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who described it as the best tank in service today – despite the Kremlin's decade-long effort to build the T-14 Armata. It would appear that Moscow has lost confidence in its revolutionary tank, and has taken cues from Joseph Stalin's playbook of removing those who fell out of favor from any official reference.

The Russian military simply doesn't speak of the T-14, and in an Orwellian twist has highlighted the capabilities of the T-90M.

It is an advanced MBT, armed with a 2A46 125 mm smoothbore main gun equipped with a stabilization system, advanced panoramic sights, and a thermal imager. The Russian T-90M can also launch 9M119 Refleks anti-tank guided missiles. Its secondary armament includes a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun. The MBT is further reported to be protected by the multi-layer steel-composite-reactive blend Kontakt-5 Explosive Reactive Armor while featuring an encrypted digital communications system.

The T-90 has a crew of three: a commander, a driver, and a gunner.

However, the T-90M also features a common flaw found in late-era Soviet and early Russian Federation MBTs – namely that the tank is equipped with an autoloader that can hold more than 22 projectiles and charges, with an additional 21 rounds in the hull. This does allow for the tank to maintain a high rate of fire of up to seven or eight rounds per minute, but if an anti-tank rocket strikes the turret, it can set off the rounds inside. This can result in the so-called jack-in-the-box effect where the turret is blown off the hull.

It is unlikely the new batch of T-90M tanks features any significant changes to address that known flaw. Moreover, for a tank that has received such praise, a considerable number have been lost. To date, the Kremlin's forces have seen more than 100 destroyed in the ongoing fighting, and it isn't clear if these new batches – of which we don't know the total number – can come anywhere close to keeping up with the losses.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

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. You can email the author: [email protected].

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