Russia is ready to send a small number of T-14 tanks to combat operations in Ukraine, but Russian forces are still reluctant to talk about the model’s capabilities, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in an assessment on Wednesday morning.

Army tank T-14Photo: Yevgen Odynokov / Sputnik / Profimedia

As previously reported by the British Ministry of Defense, Russia has prepared a small number of T-14 Armata main battle tanks for the first operational deployment of this type in Ukraine.

However, in recent months, deployed Russian forces have been reluctant to accept the first tranche of T-14s allocated to them, as the machines were in very poor condition.

It is not clear what aspects of the machines caused this reaction, but for the past three years, Russian officials have publicly stated problems with the T-14’s engine and thermal imaging systems.

In 2021, Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu called the production planned for 2022 only a “research and industrial” batch.

Therefore, it is unlikely that the deployed T-14 tanks met the usual standards for the new equipment to be considered combat-ready.

The deployment of the T-14 is primarily for propaganda purposes

In late December 2022, some (satellite) images captured a T-14 at a training ground in southern Russia: this location was associated with a pre-deployment for an operation in Ukraine.

The images came after pro-government publications in Russia claimed the T-14s were ready for combat. However, it was not clear at the time whether Russia had already taken this type of tank to Ukraine.

Any deployment of the T-14 is likely to be a risky decision for Russia, the British Ministry of Defense believes. During its eleven years of development, the program was plagued by delays, reductions in the planned number of units, and reports of production problems.

An additional challenge for Russia was adapting its logistics chain to work with the T-14, as it is larger and heavier than other Russian tanks.

If Russia does deploy the T-14, it will likely be primarily for propaganda purposes. Only a few dozen are likely to be produced, and commanders are unlikely to trust this machine in combat, the British military secret service also said.

Read here the most important information from 336th day of the war in Ukraine