What You Need to Know: Russia’s Soviet-era T-72 Main Battle Tank (MBT) has proven to be a key asset in the Ukraine War, outperforming even newer tank models like the Russian T-14 Armata and NATO-supplied systems like the U.S. Abrams and German Leopard-2.

-The T-72’s simplicity, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness make it ideal for the harsh conditions of trench warfare in Ukraine.

-Enhanced with reactive armor and countermeasures, the T-72 remains highly resilient despite high losses.

-Its ability to withstand minefields and engage in brutal combat has made it a reliable, lethal platform, reinforcing its role in Russia’s military strategy.

Russia’s Old T-72 Tank Is No Joke for Ukraine’s Military 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Soviet-era T-72 Main Battle Tank (MBT) is the best tank in the world. No, it’s not high-tech or fancy in any way, like the American Abrams or German Leopard-2. But it gets the job done. 

And, as we’ve seen in the Ukraine War, it gets the job done better than any newer tank system, including Russia’s T-14 Armata, that it might be compared to. 

Ukraine is a snapshot of the future of warfare and, boy, is it a blast from the past.

Trench warfare has defined the frontline. It has become a war of brutal attrition. Newer platforms, such as the aforementioned Abrams MBT or the T-14 Armata for Russia, have failed to live up to much older systems, like the Soviet-era T-72 or the even older T-64 MBT. Sure, drones and javelins are newer bits of tech that have reshaped the war. But these are ancillary to the larger, costlier systems I’m writing about here.

A Practical Asset

Russia has demonstrated that the T-72 is their best tank in practical terms. Its resilience in the muddy, bloody killing fields of Ukraine is unmatched. There have been instances where these thundering behemoths have been equipped with mine plows and utterly cleared mines allowing for Russian troops to follow through. Even after receiving countless blows from the mines, the T-72s in question roared on, as if they had merely hit a speed bump.

So, to be clear, the T-72, a decades-old platform, is performing much better than the faulty systems that NATO has lavished upon Ukraine. In fact, in many cases, as with the U.S.-provided Abrams MBTs, the Ukrainians have had to pull them entirely from the front as they were not serving the Ukrainian military well. For a fraction of the cost of these other, newer systems, the Russians are simply amping up the old T-72 with defenses like reactive armor and greater countermeasures against mines and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). 

Of course, multiple Russian T-72s have either been destroyed or captured, notably at the messy start of the war. But the nature of the Ukraine War is unlike anything the West has had to fight in generations. The T-72s have obliterated Ukrainian tanks in battle, including more advanced Western tanks, showcasing their effectiveness in harsh conditions. But the losses for the T-72s have been high.

While that might sound daunting, the reason that Moscow is relying on these older tanks to do the heavy lifting for their tank force is that they are cheaper to replace and easier to maintain. 

Still, these tanks are not impervious to unconventional attacks, such as those from NATO-provided anti-tank missiles or drones. At the same time, though, Ukrainian forces are also vulnerable to these threats when the Russians deploy similar systems in combat. 

Adaptable Behemoths 

T-72s are adaptable, especially when enhanced by copious modifications. Because of its aforementioned simplicity, these tanks can survive far longer in the intense combat conditions of the Ukraine War. It also makes training easier. 

T-72 crews are generally ready for combat. They are usually competent and they happen to be in good spirits for the most part, even when some of the other elements of the Russian force are demoralized. That’s because the T-72 crews know they’re using an effective and lethal combat system.

Ukraine and NATO should not underestimate the old T-72. These tanks are not old at all, in fact. They’re in the prime of their lives, as the Russian experience in Ukraine shows us. 

About the Author

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images on the page come from Shutterstock or Creative Commons. 

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