Russia's T‑90M tank repair hailed amid rising war losses

Representatives of the Russian Uralvagonzavod corporation have boasted about successfully repairing a T-90M tank that had been heavily damaged in Ukraine. Ukrainian analysts note that what the Russians tout as a success is actually a sign of their growing problems.

Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil is one of the most important facilities for the Russian army. The most significant machines handed over to the army for service, including T-72 and T-90 tanks, and even the T-14 Armata, are manufactured and repaired there. In this instance, representatives of the Russian corporation boasted about the successful repair of a T-90M tank, which returned from Ukraine after sustaining 26 hits by enemy kamikaze drones. The work reportedly took "only four weeks."

On the Ukrainian military portal Defence Express, it was noted that the Russians are significantly overestimating their achievements. It was pointed out that just a few months ago, tanks (including the T-90 family) that suffered such extensive damage were not repaired but used as donors of spare parts for new or significantly less damaged units that could be repaired much faster.

According to analysts from Defence Express, this is another example confirming that the production of new tanks at Uralvagonzavod may not meet the actual needs of the Russian army, which is suffering significant losses in Ukraine. In July this year, the number of T-90Ms lost in Ukraine exceeded 100 units.

The T-90 is a family of Russian main battle tanks. Production of the first units began in 1992. The T-90M Proryv is the latest variant, introduced into the Russian army only in 2021, and quickly dubbed "Putin's pride." This is because the Russian president personally inspected one of the prototypes and has often praised the capabilities of the T-90M, even claiming it to be "the best tank in the world."

Ukrainian military personnel has a different opinion, having analyzed the components and capabilities of this machine, stating that the T-90M Proryv is a "failure instead of a breakthrough." Despite this, it remains one of the most dangerous machines at the disposal of Putin's army units fighting in Ukraine. It is equipped with a 2A46M-5 125 mm cannon, an improved fire control system, and two machine guns - 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm. Its design has been strengthened with Relikt modular reactive armor (built of two layers of tiles). However, it does not cover the entire tank, resulting in weak points that skilled kamikaze drone pilots can target.

Earlier, deploying T-90S tanks to the front was seen as a sign of growing problems in the Russian arms industry. These machines were not designed with the Russian army in mind but were prepared for export. Due to reported defects, the Russian command likely decided to use units that clients had not accepted.