The Russian military uses a wide range of different types of main battle tanks in the fighting in Ukraine.  

The most common is the T-72, while the most advanced is the T-90. The T-80 is somewhere in between.  

Much like the rest of these tanks, the Russian fleet of T-80 hasn’t performed very well in the fighting and has suffered heavy casualties.  

The T-80 and its Performance in Ukraine  

Russian T-80 tanks haven’t awed anyone with their performance in the fighting in Ukraine. One of the Russian military’s main battle tanks, the T-80 has faced several operational and technical challenges that have resulted in very high casualties.  

Open source estimates put the number of T-80 losses to around 950 destroyed or damaged armored vehicles. 

The T-80’s shortcomings mainly have to do with its engine, which often presents malfunctions. Moreover, the T-80, and Russian tanks in general, are very slow on the reverse. On the battlefield that can prove deadly. As anti-tank weapons are becoming more powerful and sophisticated, a tank’s flexibility and speed are becoming increasingly important to its survival in combat.  

In addition, the T-80 shares a similar design flaw to other Russian tanks. Namely, the presence of an autoloader within the tank instead of a human loader. The T-80 has a crew of three (commander, gunner, and driver) instead of four. 

The automatic loading system replaces the loader and aims for faster and more efficient speeds. However, it also brings ammunition within the turret. It only takes one hit, which otherwise might not have been deadly, to obliterate the entire tank. This is the main reason why Russian tanks keep exploding after a single hit from a Ukrainian suicide drone or anti-tank missile.  

It is also important to understand that there are several different versions of the T-80. For example, there is a T-80BVM Obr. 2022, T-80BVM, T-80UM2, T-80UE-1, T-80UK, T-80U, T-80BVK, T-80B, and T-80BV. Although the same type of tank, each version has slightly different capabilities. And the gap is larger between the newest and oldest version of the tank.  

Russia’s Tank Casualties in the Ukraine War 

The fighting in Ukraine might be ongoing, but the Russian military has already failed. Considered a conventional near-peer adversary to the United States military before the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military proved to be a paper tiger.  

In about 930 days of fighting, the Russian forces have lost over 600,000 men, either killed, wounded, and captured, as well as tens of thousands of heavy weapon systems.  

In terms of main battle tanks, the Russian military has lost at least 3,000 vehicles. Indeed, Moscow has lost so many tanks in the fighting that it had to unearth obsolete tanks dating from the 1950s and 1960s from its reserves and throw them into the battlefield. These ancient tanks go to the frontlines with only some upgrades and are completely unsuited for modern combat against Ukraine’s anti-tank weapon systems provided by the West.  

About the Author: 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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