Russia is set to present its T-90MS main battle tank at the IDEX-2025 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, despite the combat vehicle suffering extensive losses in Ukraine.
Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms exporter, has confirmed that a T-90MS model will be displayed at the event, which runs from February 17–21 and is expected to attract over 1,350 exhibitors from 65 countries.
The T-90MS is the export variant of Russia’s T-90M tank, which Moscow has repeatedly promoted as one of the most advanced in the world. Russian state media and President Vladimir Putin have touted the tank’s capabilities, even as dozens of these vehicles have been destroyed or captured in Ukraine.
Open-source intelligence analysts, including Dutch-based group Oryx, have documented at least 123 confirmed losses of T-90M tanks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. According to international military experts, these figures represent nearly one-third of Russia’s newly produced T-90M fleet, raising concerns about the tank’s real-world effectiveness.
While the T-90M features upgraded armor, an advanced fire-control system, and enhanced survivability, it has proven vulnerable to modern anti-tank weapons, suicide drones, and precision-guided artillery strikes. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted these tanks using Western-supplied Javelin and NLAW missile systems, as well as domestically developed attack drones, leading to substantial battlefield attrition.
Despite the heavy combat losses, Russia continues to market the T-90MS as an elite combat vehicle. The tank is based on the Soviet-era T-72 design, a Cold War platform that has shown critical vulnerabilities against modern anti-armor weapons.
Western military analysts argue that Russia’s reliance on legacy platforms with incremental upgrades highlights its struggles to field truly next-generation armored vehicles. The Armata T-14, originally planned as Russia’s premier battle tank, has faced delays, cost overruns, and logistical failures, forcing Moscow to continue upgrading its older T-90 and T-80 fleets instead.
Russia’s decision to showcase the T-90MS at IDEX-2025 comes at a time when global demand for modern tanks is rising, particularly in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. However, the battlefield performance of Russian tanks in Ukraine may undermine export prospects, as potential buyers weigh the effectiveness of Russian armor against Western alternatives such as the Leopard 2, M1 Abrams, and South Korea’s K2 Black Panther.
With a diminishing stockpile of advanced tanks, Moscow faces both reputational and logistical challenges in maintaining its position as a leading arms exporter. The real-world combat performance of the T-90M in Ukraine may overshadow the marketing efforts surrounding the T-90MS at IDEX-2025, raising doubts about its viability on the modern battlefield.