At the moment, and even if the Russian armed forces intend to field it, according to British intelligence, the T-14 Armata, intended to mark a technological break with the tanks they previously put into service, still hasn’t made its appearance in Ukraine… Which is not the case with the T-62, of which many [191 selon les estimations] were deployed in the Zaporizhia region [annexée depuis par la Russie] from May 2022.
The T-62s produced in the early 1960s were gradually replaced by the T-72s, which saw service over the following decade. However, this was not the first time that the Russian army engaged them in battles: this was the case in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and more recently in Georgia [août 2008].
Recently, however, on the basis of videos published on social networks, it was reported that the Russian army had just returned to service older armored personnel carriers BTR 50, since their design dates back to the early 1990s 1950. The same applies to the ZSU -23- 4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, once used by the Red Army.
But the list doesn’t end here. In fact, other images suggest that the Russian army just dismantled T-54 tanks [et T-55]designed just after World War II, based on the T-34 which played a vital role against Nazi forces.
In fact, T-54s were filmed being transported by rail from the Primori region [extrême-orient russe], where the 1295th Tank Repair and Storage Base is located. The T-62s that were previously sent to Ukraine came from there…
Russian T-54 tanks on the way to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/DlED37q6qa
— Conflict Report (@clashreport) March 22, 2023
At the moment the destination of this T-54 is not known. But it is likely that they will soon be deployed in the Ukrainian regions currently under Russian control.
According to analysts at the Conflict Intelligence Team [CIT, une organisation russe indépendante]two models of the T-54 would have been retired: the T-54-3, produced between 1952 and 1953 and equipped with a new turret and a TSh-2-22 telescopic sight, and the T-54B, released in 1957, with a 100mm D-10T2S gun with a rifle, an STP-2 Tsiklone stabilizer and an infrared sight.
Of course, it can always make sense to sort out old tanks [sinon, l’armée russe ne le ferait pas…]. However, the case of the T-54 has several disadvantages: Their shielding is inadequate [alors que le Royaume-Uni a indiqué qu’il fournirait des obus perforants à uranium appauvri avec les 14 Challengers 2 promis à l’Ukraine] and they lack a fire control system and ballistic computer. Also, their gun stabilization system isn’t up to date… Not to mention the 100mm ammo they use… or even their mechanical condition since those tanks are as old as their hoses.
However, it should be noted that the Ukrainian army also uses tanks of such an old design, namely M55S supplied by Slovenia, including derivatives of the Soviet T-55, the production of which began from 1958. But with the difference from the Russian T-54/55, they were modernized in the 1990s and received a 105mm L7/M68 gun [à la place de celui de 100 mm]a fire control computer and a new engine.