“Russian Tanks 2022: Thicker and Blinder“
“ Since the all out invasion of Ukraine the Russian army has lost at least 1700 tanks. This has caused the Russian army some supply problems, when they are re-forming their mauled units. Fighting has also revealed the need for upgrades on most of the Russian tank designs. The most obvious issues with the existing Russian tank fleet are the insufficient armor protection, the lack of reverse mobility and the vulnerability of the automatic loaders and their ammunition carousels. Although the last one has gifted us the sport of Turret Throwing.
Very little can be done for the mobility with the limitations of the existing transmissions and the autoloaders can’t really be replaced with better designs or human loaders either. The armor part on the other hand can be improved during the activation and refurbishment of the deep stored Soviet-era tanks.
The first new design that appeared in the battlefield was an upgraded T-72B3 with additional armo,r mimicking the T-90M layout, installed to the skirts and turret sides. It’s called the T-72B3 obr 2022. This model retains the top of the Russian line Sosna-U optic and the cross wind sensor mounted at the rear of the turret. The deliveries of the T-72B3 obr 2022 lasted until the fall, but apparently the western sanctions started to hurt even the Russian tank industry. The more advanced Sosna-U optic is manufactured in Belarus, so any large scale upheaval there could degrade the supply even more.”
https://blog.vantagepointnorth.net/2023/01/russian-tanks-2022-thicker-and-blinder.html
“Putin’s War in Ukraine Pushes Ex-Soviet States Toward New Allies”
“The Kremlin ruler’s efforts to restore Russian dominance over its neighbors seem further away than ever as nations build ties with rival powers. “
“Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine partly to assert Russia’s regional dominance once and for all. Nearly a year on, the Russian president has achieved the opposite — and not just in Kyiv.
Officials from ex-Soviet states in central Asia and the Caucasus say the war has prompted their governments to look for ways to reduce dependence on Moscow by turning to rival powers including Turkey, the European Union and Middle East countries. All spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing the Kremlin.
Current and former Russian officials, also speaking on condition they not be identified, said Moscow is reacting nervously, even harshly, as the Kremlin becomes less certain of its ability to assert influence in its own backyard. “
The Russians ought to be using French tanks: One forward gear and five reverse gears.
Regards,