Russian Tanks in Ukraine: Current Status and Mobilization Challenges
Okay….. We are all familiar with the images coming out of Ukraine, showing large numbers of Russian Tanks which have either been destroyed, abandoned or “Appropriated” by Ukrainian forces. Basically, Russia has been losing Tanks and Armored vehicles at a rate that has not been seen since World War 2. So much so, Moscow had been forced to reactivate many of their older models from storage.
Most notably, the T-62, which was deemed obsolete back in the 1970s. I remembered originally posting about the T-62s being sent into Ukraine and saying that it was more than likely that they would be handed off to pro-Russian separatist forces. Thus allowing Russian Army units with their more modern tanks to head to the front lines. But videos coming out of Ukraine show that among the equipment left behind by retreating Russians, were numerous T-62s.
Mobilization and Equipment Supply Issues
Now with the recent “partial” mobilization underway, many wonder if Moscow has enough equipment to supply them. Remember, they want to rebuild their Armored units as well. Some units have been completely wiped out in the last couple of weeks and they are gonna need replacing.
Russia still has A LOT of vehicles still in storage, as it’s estimated that there are still thousands of older T-62s and T-72s still in storage. Not to mention that despite the sanctions, Russia is still able to produce the T-90. Though at a much-reduced capacity.
But remember…. A lot of their tanks have been in storage for decades, usually exposed to the elements and it’s going to take some time to get them running again. There is also the fact that corruption is rampant in the Russian military. Say what you want about how corrupt the Western Military complex is, it tames compared to what goes on in Russia.
Corruption and Readiness of Stored Tanks
It’s a well-known fact that if you flash enough money to one of these storage facility commanders, you will have full access to whatever you want. This includes buying tanks and other armored vehicles, just to cannibalize them for parts. All the while the commanders of these bases will forge documents giving false reports just how many vehicles can be ready for deployment.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the Russian army can’t field enough vehicles to rebuild lost units. I’m just saying that it could take a while to get them to a point where they could actually be deployed. But just how effective these “Fresh” armored units would be, is yet to be seen.
~NC
