Rare T-54/55 tanks, mass-produced from 1948 to 1979, have reappeared in Russian loss statistics on the front.
This may indicate the Russians' desire to preserve their newer machines, sacrificing older ones in exchange. This is what OSINT analyst Richard Vereker said on the X social network, quoted by FOCUS.
According to his calculations, over the past three months the Russians have lost a total of 88 tanks, of which 22 are of unknown type. Of the remaining 66 tanks, 4 were T-54/55s. Although this is a small number compared to the total, it is still a noticeable increase, since the Russians had lost only 15 such vehicles since the beginning of the war.
Vereker rejects the idea that these tanks could be used as artillery for firing from closed positions. First, they have a very low gun elevation angle, which limits their firing range. Second, these tanks have a relatively "weak" 100 mm gun, which makes them not very successful as artillery. Third, these tanks are too old, so the accuracy of long-range fire will be terrible.
The analyst notes that recently in Russia T-54/55 tanks have been used to train new tankers in tank schools, which allowed the release of newer tanks for the needs of the front. However, now the approach has changed 180 degrees, Vereker suggests.
"Perhaps now we are seeing an increase in T-54/55 losses at the front, as Russia has replaced them - it has deployed modern tanks in schools to preserve them, and sent the old ones to the battlefield, where their losses are less significant“, the analyst suggests.
In recent days, the Russians have sharply increased the number of armored vehicles at the front. Military commentator Alexander Kovalenko attributes this to the worsening weather, which has made the use of motorcycles and scooters impossible.
According to The Economist, the Russian army has suffered record losses at the front during the major summer offensive. According to the publication, the ratio of losses between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian army is now 1 to 5, if not more.