The Russian army lost so much heavy combat equipment in Ukraine that it ended up removing from storage tanks and other armored vehicles 60-70 years old, and even the most prestigious tank troops of Moscow were equipped with “antique” T-62s that were “modernized” – say British military experts.

Here’s what Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in its Monday morning assessment:

• The Russian military continued to respond to the loss of heavy armored vehicles by deploying 60-year-old T-62 main battle tanks.
• There is a very real possibility that even parts of the 1st Guards Tank Army, supposedly Russia’s main tank force, will be rearmed with T-62s to compensate for previous losses. The 1st Guards Tank Army was supposed to receive the latest generation T-14 Armata main battle tanks from 2021 (which did not happen).
• In recent days, for the first time at the front in Ukraine, the BTR-50 was also identified – Russian armored personnel carriers, adopted for service in 1954.
• As of summer 2022, approximately 800 T-62s have been removed from storage, some of which have received upgraded optical systems, which will most likely increase their effectiveness at night.
• However, these two types of vintage vehicles will have many vulnerabilities on the modern battlefield, including the lack of modern explosive armor.

Images of “modernized” T-62s appeared on social networks, showing that they are equipped with a new optical system, but did not receive dynamic armor.

(article photo: ©Radist|Dreamstime.com)