Summary: In the two years following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both nations have experienced significant losses of military equipment, including tanks, vehicles, and drones. Russia has utilized Cold War and WWII-era equipment, while Ukraine has leveraged advanced Western systems like the FGM-148 Javelin and HIMARS, significantly impacting Russian T-72 main battle tanks (MBTs). According to Oryx, Russia lost at least 1,200 T-72s in the first year of conflict, a figure likely underreported. Recent estimates suggest Russia's T-72 reserves are significantly lower than previously thought, with only 1,500 left, challenging initial estimates of 6,900. The T-72, introduced nearly 50 years ago, has been a global staple but struggles against modern NATO-supplied weapons. Despite this, Russia is exploring enhancements, including electronic warfare capabilities, to bolster its remaining fleet's defenses against advanced Western technology and drones.

T-72 Tank: Getting Hit Hard in Ukraine 

Ukraine and Russia have seen staggering losses of military equipment in the two years since Moscow invaded. From main battle tanks and airframes to infantry fighting vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, countless systems have been decimated as their numbers are destroyed, captured, or simply left behind. 

While Moscow has relied strongly on its stockpiles of Cold War and World War II-era relics, Ukraine has turned to equipment shipped from the U.S. and its NATO allies to fulfill its defense needs. Kyiv’s powerful Western systems, including the FGM-148 Javelin and HIMARS, have crucified Russian tanks. Russia’s fleet of Soviet-era T-72 MBTs have fared especially poorly throughout the war.

According to open-source intelligence tracker Oryx, Russia lost at least 1,200 T-72 tanks during the first year of fighting alone. Since this Dutch group uses verified footage and other imagery to relay its war figures, this number is probably an undercount. New information surrounding Russia’s remaining T-72s recently came to light, painting an even bleaker picture for the Kremlin. As detailed by Forbes last month, Moscow likely only has 1,500 T-72s left in storage, much less than the 6,900 previously believed to exist.

T-72 Tank: Introducing the “Ural” MBT

The T-72 was introduced by Soviet engineers nearly five decades ago. During the Cold War, the USSR developed the “Ural” tank as a counter to NATO’s MBTs. Notably, the T-72 is the most widely used armored vehicle across the globe. The Soviet-era MBT was exported to more than 30 countries prior to the collapse of the USSR and remains in service today with 35 nations.

Over the years, the Ural has undergone several modifications. The latest T-72B3 variant was introduced in 2010 and is considered to be a third-generation tank. The MBT is fitted with a 2A46M5 125mm smoothbore gun, a cutting-edge fire control system, and a new thermal sight. Additionally, the tank features Relikt explosive reactive armor, which provides greater protection against projectiles like anti-guided missiles, high-velocity missiles, and tandem warheads.  

While the T-72 is sophisticated on paper, the Western weapons and MBTs provided to Kyiv by NATO members simply have it beat. Russia is not giving up on its aging MBT, however. Earlier this month, an image of a Ural tank equipped with some kind of electronic warfare device circulated widely. The new addition can be seen mounted squarely on the tank’s turret. Analysts suspect this device could be the Triton drone defense system, which safeguards the MBT from enemy drones by interrupting the frequency bands used in controlling UAVs.

As Moscow’s remaining tank fleet continues to diminish, engineers will likely test out additional technologies and safeguards to prevent a total collapse of Russia’s MBT numbers.

About the Author: Maya Carlin 

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

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