Insanity. The EU is arming its Ukrainian mercenaries with the most modern weapons available. Russia can’t win.
Tanks, no matter whose, no matter what technology, are obsolete in today’s warfare................
To be used by the LNR/DNR as assault guns or death traps which ever comes first.
OTOH: 800 refurbished Belarusian T-72s go to regular troops.
I’ve driven a T-62. They can’t be that old ;-)
I hope more and more Russians question serving the increasingly deranged Putin.
I expected this. “If the Ukrainians have been able to wipe out that many modern tanks, how well do you think these “vintage” tanks will fare?” is a good question, but another question FOR ME is “if modern defenses are useless for the modern tanks, would the neo-Soviets pause to use ordinary tanks?”
There’s something to be said for sheer numerical superiority.
No KV-1s yet?
How about T-28?
Perhaps they should have held on to them: Hundreds of rusting tanks abandoned in secret Ukrainian depot unveiled as Russia's armoured vehicles line its streets
I’ll take a T-34, please. “Get off my lawn!”
A phalanx of T34/76s come rushing down on you, a steel wall a mile wide.
Update on Russian military operations in Ukraine for October 13, 2022
- UN General Assembly vote demonstrates continued support for Russia by India and China as well as many other nations across the developing and newly industrialized world;
- Russia continues missile and drone strikes across Ukraine; - Ukraine’s plea for air defense systems is impractical and reflect desperation in Kiev;
- West is attempting to mix and match air defense systems to create an ad hoc integrated network;
- Many air defense components will take a year or longer to arrive in Ukraine;
- Many air defense components will be damaged or destroyed before the imagined integrated network is complete;
- A turning point is coming where the West will have to decide between escalating or abandoning its proxy war in Ukraine;
"Andrey Gurulyov, a retired Russian general turned politician, who is currently a deputy of the lower house of Russia's parliament, or Duma, reportedly explained the situation during a recent publicized tour of the 103 Armored Repair Plant..."Russia is going to take tanks that ended production in 1975, upgraded them with defenses that do now work, electronics they do no have, to fight modern US and NATO weapons, when weapons half their age can take out every armored vehicle Russia has."Gurulyov reportedly said that the T-62s in question would be modernized with new thermal and night vision optics and additional armor and other defensive features, particularly to help protect against anti-tank guided missiles like the U.S.-made Javelin. He does not appear to have provided any granular specifics about these planned upgrades."
Gurulyov was (is) as guilty of embezzling as much as everyone else up and down the Russian military production and procurement chains. His calling out corruption and inspecting tank plants shows he wants to avoid a tax service audit. It is not a confidence builder when the bosses trying to look good on TV calling for fixing problems everyone knows they will have no part in fixing, are the same ones who lined their pockets causing those same problems.
The crews of those tanks should probably get their wills in order before they get their orders. What a mess.
Tanks were a big part of Soviet military doctrine.
The old guard dies hard, but perhaps more quickly due to its stupidity.
