Russia is bringing outdated Soviet-era T-62 tanks back into service amid heavy equipment losses and a shortage of modern military gear, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) has reported.
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has lost nearly 11,000 tanks, according to data from Ukraine’s General Staff.
“The key factors limiting the ability to produce modern armored vehicles in Russia are a lack of industrial capacity and a shortage of imported high-tech components,” HUR said on Saturday.
It added: “Due to a severe shortage of modern main battle tanks such as the T-90M and T-72B3M, the deployment of T-62s is seen as a temporary but necessary measure.”
The T-62s, which date back to the 1970s, have mostly been stored outdoors for decades without maintenance, leaving many in poor condition. Some are also repurposed as stationary firing points to strengthen defensive lines.
According to HUR, the restoration of T-62 tanks is primarily carried out at a facility in the village of Atamanovka in Russia’s far-eastern region of Zabaykalsky Krai.
It further claimed that Russia transferred 21 T-62 tanks from its eastern military district to the European part of the country.
In recent months, Kyiv has increased pressure on Moscow with cross-border strikes targeting Russia’s military infrastructure, including its fleet of long-range strategic bombers.
The strikes have dealt an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin, which continues to defy U.S., European and Ukraine’s calls for a ceasefire.