Losses of Russian tanks and armored vehicles have fallen sharply this summer, according to the open-source intelligence (OSINT) project Oryx and analyzed by the independent outlet Important Stories.
Between June and August 2025, Russia lost 83 tanks and 189 other armored fighting vehicles (AFVs). That is a far lower figure than in previous years during the same summer months:
2022: 252 tanks and 411 AFVs
2023: 274 tanks and 468 AFVs
2024: 268 tanks and 619 AFVs
Losses of other military vehicles were also about half of what they have been in previous summers.
Why the fall in losses?
The main reason is that Russia is using its armor less often, a strategy it has maintained for some time. After losing hundreds of vehicles near Avdiivka in late 2023, the Russian army scaled back its dependence on large-scale tank and APC assaults.
They replaced this, according to Forbes’ assessment, by relying more on infantry attacks, sometimes with little or no armored support.
In December 2023, more than 100 relatives of Russian mobilized soldiers wrote letters appealing for President Vladimir Putin to “deal with the signs of deliberate destruction” of troops fighting in the Avdiivka area.
There are numerous reports that within the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) wounded soldiers are being forced to participate in near-suicidal “meat-grinder assaults”.
Even when vehicles are used, they are mainly for transporting troops close to the front line, not for breaking through Ukrainian defenses.
Instead, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in July on the growing Russian use of motorcycles in combat.
Kyiv Post has previously reported on several repelled motorcycle assaults.
Though some Western analysts mocked the trend as “Mad Max-style,” Russian forces are using motorcycles to evade Ukraine’s FPV drone strikes that target heavy weaponry.
Ukrainian troops report that Russian units sometimes fight entirely without vehicles.
“As soon as they make contact with our positions, they pull back 200–300 meters. Then drones, artillery, tanks, and Grad rockets hit the area, destroying everything before their infantry moves forward,” a Ukrainian drone platoon commander told the BBC in December, describing a battle near Pokrovsk.
The reasons Russia is being careful with its armor
Two factors explain why Russia is preserving tanks and armored vehicles: shortages and vulnerability.
1. Shortages of vehicles
According to Oryx, Russia has lost more than 4,100 tanks and 9,000 AFVs since the start of the full-scale war. Many vehicles in storage are old, damaged, or have been dismantled for parts.
A June 2025 analysis of satellite images suggested that less than half of the stocks of pre-war tanks and IFVs remain, many of which may not be operational.
Russia is still producing new tanks. Uralvagonzavod, its main tank factory, makes about 20 new T-90s and repairs over 100 older T-72s each month, according to a Novaya Gazeta Europe investigation. Other plants are also used to restore older tanks.
Experts say Russia may not have enough tanks to conduct large offensives, even at current production levels.
2. Drones and modern warfare
First-person view (FPV) drones have become a major threat on the battlefield. Ukrainian troops call the area up to 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) from the front line the “kill zone.”
Drones can detect and strike vehicles before they reach combat positions. NATO estimated that in 2024, two-thirds of those Russian tanks destroyed were hit by.
Even heavily protected tanks are not invulnerable. A single small FPV drone can damage a tank’s tracks, immobilizing it.
Once stopped, it can be finished off by artillery or follow-up drone strikes. Some Ukrainian drones are able to drop anti-tank mines, capable of destroying a tank with a single hit.
Russian military Z-bloggers say the problem is not just destruction, but inefficient use. Russian units may lose several dozen tanks or IFVs each month while achieving little on the battlefield.
Well-protected tanks still require many drones to destroy them, while infantry or unarmored vehicles can be eliminated with far fewer.
Is Russia saving armor for a big offensive?
Some analysts suggest that Russia may be holding back tanks for a major attack this fall. European and Ukrainian officials warn that a breakthrough could come near Pokrovsk, a city Moscow has failed to capture for over a year.
In August, German and French officials discussed the buildup of Russian forces near the city, people familiar with the talks told Bloomberg.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Russia had deployed 100,000 troops to the area.
Pokrovsk is a key transport hub for Ukrainian forces in Donbas. Its fall could open the way for Russian troops to attack the final major Ukrainian-held cities in the Donetsk region: Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian brigades fighting near Pokrovsk reported on Sept. 7 that Russian marines were being deployed for what they called a “decisive breakthrough” using mechanized columns.
Analysts say two conditions are needed for such an offensive to succeed: Ukrainian defenses must be breached, and the terrain behind them must be flat and open. Military analyst Kirill Mikhailov told Important Stories:
“If they gather several hundred vehicles in one place, something might happen. But losing dozens of tanks and IFVs each month isn’t enough to change the course of the war.”