Citing an open-source intelligence report from military experts, Lenta.ru reported that the Russian Army has in total 2685 main battle tanks in their active inventory.
“The total number of combat units listed [in the publication] above is 2685 tanks. The total number of new and upgraded tanks (produced in 2000 and later) in combat units is about 1200 units or about 45 percent of the total, ”the report says.
Additional reports by Lenta.ru state that “39 new tank battalions were formed during the past years, and thirty-two of them were deployed in the western and southern directions,” and “the total number of deployed tanks has almost doubled.”
Also notes that the Russian defense industry has raised the rate of modernization of old vehicles. “If in 1998-2010 about 150 T-72B and T-80U tanks were upgraded to the T-72BA and T-80UE-1 levels, then in 2011-2020 supplies to the troops amounted to more than 600 T-72B3 tanks, more than 300 T-72B3M tanks and more than 60 T-80BVM tanks, ” according to a report.
At the same time, CEO of Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) Alexander Potapov said that the first batch of the latest T-14 ‘Armata’ tanks will arrive for the Russian troops shortly.
“The first batch of vehicles will be delivered to the troops shortly,” the chief executive said.
The Armata is of great interest both for the Russian Army and for foreign customers, which are inquiring about T-14 possible deliveries or the licensed production of this hardware, the Uralvagonzavod chief said.