The number of unserviceable Russian tanks today stands at at least 1,938, according to a running tally from the Dutch site Oryx. The data is based on photos and videos of destroyed or seized Russian tanks verified by geolocation.
– The loss can be related to the fact that Russia has had approximately 3,500 to 4,000 tanks, so they have lost half of their attack power in the form of tanks, says Johan Houvinen.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has previously said that Russia will produce 1,500 modern tanks by 2023, but that is highly unlikely according to experts. Russia can rather produce around 250 wagons a year, according to Houvinen.
Report: “Worse quality”
Western sanctions make it difficult for Russia to obtain high-tech components. The new tanks being produced now are therefore expected to be of lower quality than before the war, at least in the short term. This is stated by the American think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS, in a new rapport.
Previously, Russia could import modern digital sights from France. Now there are many indications that Russia must use old or worse sights, according to the CSIS report.
Russia also has difficulty obtaining advanced ball bearings. Before the war, Russia imported more than half of its bullet bearings from Europe and the United States. It is possible that Russia can increase imports from, for example, China, but these bullet bearings are not considered to be of the same quality as those that Russia was previously able to use.
Old tanks in stock
However, Russia is judged to be able to compensate to some extent for the large amount of lost tanks by using its inventory of tanks from the 60s, 70s and 80s and upgrading them. In this way, Russia can obtain around 90 old tanks per month, according to CSIS.
