In the course of its war in Ukraine, Russia has exhausted most of its old tanks that can be restored and plans a serious renewal of its armored forces over the next ten years, according to new open intelligence (OSINT) analyses cited by the BBC, News.bg reports.
According to satellite image analyst Jonpy99, 2,538 old tanks remain in Russian storage bases, of which only 92 are in normal condition. The rest need repair or are no longer subject to restoration. Ukrainian analytical group Frontelligence Insight indicates that Moscow has prepared an ambitious program for rearming tank troops.
Documents from “Uralvagonzavod“, the main Russian tank manufacturer, show that the focus is on the T-90 models and the new T-90M2 version “Rivok-1“. Peak production is planned for 2027-2029, with a total of 2,611 tanks between 2026 and 2036, sufficient to fully restore Russia's armored forces and prepare for a possible new large-scale conflict.
Before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia had about 2,609 tanks in its operational units, half of which were modernized or new machines such as the T-72B3M, T-80BVM and T-90M "Breakthrough". In addition, 12 new battalions with about 400 vehicles were formed. After the start of the war, the Russian army was expanded through two new military districts - Moscow and Leningrad, including formations from Donetsk, Luhansk and private military companies such as “Wagner“.
According to the IISS Military Balance, before the war, Russia had over 10,000 tanks, including reserves. Since the beginning of the conflict, according to Oryx, over 4,000 tanks have been destroyed, abandoned or captured by Ukrainian forces, with losses in 2024 alone estimated at around 1,400 vehicles. In 2025, losses decreased significantly - 68 tanks were destroyed in September, the lowest monthly figure since the beginning of the war.
Russia is compensating for losses by repairing, modernizing and restoring old tanks. Damaged vehicles are being put back into service with the help of mobile repair teams, with between 30 and 50% of damaged tanks being restored. The old T-80, T-72, T-62 and T-55 models are being upgraded with new sights, thermal imaging cameras and dynamic protection to maintain the strength of combat units.
In 2024, Russia produced about 240 new or modernized T-90s, which is about 20 tanks per month. According to internal documents, an 80% increase in production and serial production of the T-90M2 "Rivok-1" are planned, reaching a peak of 428 tanks per year by 2028.
For the period 2026-2036, the production and modernization of 1,783 T-90M and T-90M2, as well as 828 T-72s upgraded to the T-72B3M standard, is planned, with a main focus on completing the modernization by 2029. The documents do not contain information about the Omsk plant (responsible for the T-80) or the promising T-14 "Armata" tank, whose serial production start has not yet been realized.
Currently, Russia relies mainly on modernized versions of old tanks, rather than on a completely new generation of combat vehicles.