T-54/55 - Ukraine 2023
The Russian military has lost more than 1,800 tanks since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Dutch open-source group Oryx assessed as of 22 March 2023 that Russian forces have lost at least 57 T-90, 448 T-80, 1,025 T-72, 53 T-64, and 73 T-62 tanks in highly attritional fighting in Ukraine.
Russian armored vehicle losses may be constraining the Russian military’s ability to conduct effective mechanized maneuver warfare in stalling offensives in Ukraine, and Russian forces may be deploying T-54/55 tanks from storage to Ukraine to augment these offensive operations and prepare for anticipated mechanized Ukrainian counteroffensives.
Photos and video of a train carrying T-54/55 series tanks appeared in the Russian Far East. This was announced on Channel 24 by Ukrainian military expert Oleg Zhdanov. He added that these tanks may be in better condition than some of the newer ones the Russians have been pulling out of storage in recent months. Zhdanov suggested that this might be due to the fact that these particular T-54/55s are in better condition than newer models of Soviet tanks. “As far as I understand, when Stalin was in power, the storage was more in line with the technologies that were used then than now. Therefore, these T-54/55s are perhaps in better condition than those tanks that were stored under Khrushchev, and Brezhnev," the military expert emphasized.
Georgia-based open-source Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) claimed on its Telegram channel 22 March 2023 that the tanks were being transported from Arsenyev in the Russian Far East. Arsenyev is the storage base of the 1295th Central Tank Reserve and Storage Base, which is the likely source of the tanks. The 1295th Central Base for the Reserve and Storage of Tanks was the source of T-62s that had been mothballed in recent months. However, it’s not clear whether the video comprises both the T-54s and T-55s, as the CIT positively identifies the T-54s.
CIT reported "the filmed train has recently departed from the town of Arsenyev, Primorsky region, where the 1295th Central Tank Repair and Storage Base is located. We had already documented shipments of military vehicles from that base: for example, in October, in Yekaterinburg, a train carrying T-62M(V) tanks was captured on video, and the point of departure of the train was also Arsenyev. "
Some of these tanks are older than Vladimir Putin himself. This marked the first time that Russia had confirmed the withdrawal of T-54 and T-55 tanks from its storage; the country had previously focused on refurbishing T-62 tanks from the 1960s to compensate for its losses of modern tanks in Ukraine.... We examined publicly available archive photographs of the 1295th Base and found out that, in addition to relatively modern T-80BV and T-72B tanks, it also stored a significant amount of T-62M(V) tanks. We also managed to find photographs of the T-55 and T-54 tanks."
These are old and outdated but it also depends on the commander and his platoon if the number is too big, focus fire on one modern tank which can shoot only once in 10 secs and has to turn the turret around to fire also requiring time. Weak spots are the back of the tank, any modern tank has its rear weak. These are expendable tanks unlike the modern tanks offered to Ukraine. These are small tanks can easily hide in dense vegetation, broken buildings, rubble and ambush other tanks. These may not be used in tank on tank combat but as a infantry support vehicle as a break through tank in case of obstacles for the infantry. These have more efficient diesel engines with longer range and very easy to maintain in the field.
Slovakia delivered a highly upgraded version of the T-55 to Ukraine, with a new gun, engine, fire control system, and both modular and reactive armor, which the Ukrainian tankers say made it at least the equal of the T-64, so with the right upgrades it could be useful. Even without the upgrades, the older tanks can't be ignored, and could be used as targets to make the Ukrainians expend limited antitank weapons before following up with the T-72 and T-80. Holding back the more modern tanks could give the Russians a stronger tank force with which to meet the new western MBTs. Quantity has a quality of its own.
CIT noted "Even an outdated tank is more useful than no tank at all, but we consider the lack of rangefinders and ballistic computers (not to mention fire control systems) to be the key disadvantages of these series, as well as primitive sights and (in T-54s) an inferior gun stabilization system."
Kremlin pundit Oleksii Reznikov ["Military Informant"] stated ""At the moment, it is not known for certain for what purpose these extremely outdated vehicles were reactivated, however, the most realistic assumption is their use as second-line vehicles and improvised artillery pieces, which was what the T-62M tanks previously performed in the Kherson direction."
Oleg Zhdanov emphasized that a tank, no matter how old it is, is primarily a means of fire destruction and it can cause trouble on the battlefield. To destroy old tanks, you still need to make an effort, use an anti-tank missile, a projectile or a grenade from a hand grenade launcher. According to Zhdanov, with such a pace, the invaders will reach the T-34 tanks, which were produced during the Second World War.
Another Kremlin pundit reportedly stated on a live broadcast on 25 March 2023 that Russia would pull old T-34 tanks from storage and monuments if needed for the war effort while attempting to justify Russia’s recent deployments of the T-54 and T-55 tanks to the frontlines.
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