- Most Ukrainian and Russian tank battalions currently operate with only a few combat-ready vehicles, far below their official strength.
- Mykola Salamakha said Ukraine had no more than 1,500 tanks at the start of the war, and only a third or less remain fully operational today.
Ukrainian armored warfare specialist Mykola Salamakha says the current state of Ukraine’s and Russia’s tank forces is “roughly the same – grim,” with most frontline tank battalions operating at a fraction of their intended strength due to heavy attrition and drone threats.
In an interview with Radio Svoboda, Salamakha explained that operational battalions rarely field more than a handful of functioning tanks. “Instead of 30 or 40 tanks per battalion, at best five or six are combat-capable, sometimes only two or three,” he said.
Tank commanders are increasingly cautious, conserving their limited assets for decisive roles. “They’re seen as the last argument of kings on the battlefield,” Salamakha noted. Units that don’t understand the tank’s role often misuse them, resulting in unnecessary losses. “They send a tank forward just to show the infantry they have support — we lose them in such operations,” he said.
As the war enters its fourth year, both Ukraine and Russia are contending with battlefield conditions that severely limit tank maneuverability. The widespread use of drones — for reconnaissance, targeting, and direct attack — has transformed combat zones into high-risk environments for any armored movement.
Salamakha said tank deployments are vulnerable from as far as 10 kilometers behind the front line. “The moment tanks are spotted, drone attacks follow quickly, using various tactical techniques and drone types,” he said.
Ukraine began the war with approximately 800 tanks in service and another 600 in storage. “We never had more than 1,500 operational at once,” he said. Today, only a third — and in some cases just a fifth — are considered combat-ready.
Russia, for its part, has lost nearly 4,000 tanks since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to figures from the Oryx project, an open-source intelligence group that tracks visually confirmed losses. Ukraine’s tank losses are estimated at approximately 1000, based on the same methodology.
Salamakha emphasized that drone saturation, persistent surveillance, and deep reconnaissance are now the primary challenges for tank crews. “Even rear columns are within reach,” he said, adding that armor alone no longer guarantees survivability in a battlespace constantly scanned from above.