Russia is bringing Cold War-era tanks out of storage and looking to draft civilian ships into the
military as its war in Ukraine drags on and losses pile up.
Observers first noticed the
Russian T-62 tanks, first deployed in 1961, moving through the Melitopol
railway station in southeast Ukraine. This is a Russian-occupied territory near
the frontlines where fighting is currently the heaviest.
On May 23, the General Staff
of the Armed Forces of Ukraine mentioned the presence of T-62 as part of a
briefing it posted on Facebook. “As a result of losses during
hostilities, Russian enemy was forced to withdraw from storage T-62 tanks to
recruit reserve battalion tactical groups that are being formed to be sent to
Ukraine,” the post said.
Russian armor has been no
match for Ukrainians using Javelins and other anti-tank weapons
provided by the U.S. and NATO. Russia’s more modern T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s
have been destroyed in the hundreds since it pushed deeper into Ukraine in
February. The Kyiv Indepdent has counted more than 1,300 destroyed
Russian tanks. Independent open-source intelligence investigators have visually
confirmed 700 of those losses.
It’s a massive amount of lost
tanks. Many have been felled by Javelins, Byraktar drone strikes, and other
Ukrainian anti-tank weapons. Some were lost to incompetence. Russia lost an
entire battalion trying to cross the Siverskyi Donets River earlier in May. As
the Russian war machine was bogged down in the river, Ukraine struck at them with
artillery. Moscow lost around 70 tanks and 400 soldiers trying to cross a
river.
Sanctions have made it
difficult for Russia to acquire the materials it needs to produce more tanks so
it’s dusting off the old ones it has in storage. First deployed in 1961, the
T-62 has been used in Russia’s wars in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and now Ukraine.
Like newer models, it also has weaknesses that make it a good target for
loitering munitions and won’t fare better than the machines Russia has already
lost.
But beggars can’t be choosers.
As Russia dusts off its old tanks it also looks to fishing vessels and
icebreakers to fill out its Navy. As spotted by The Barents Observer, the
Russian Navy is updating its military doctrine with an eye toward
mobilizing non-military vessels. “Fundamentally new provisions of the doctrine
relate to mobilization training and mobilization readiness in the field of
maritime activities,” said a translation of a Russian government website. “This
will make it possible to introduce civilian ships and crews into the Navy, to
ensure the functioning of maritime infrastructure in wartime.” The Russian Navy
has also fared badly during the war with Ukraine. Ukraine, a country with no
Navy, destroyed the Moskva, Russia’s flagship in the Black
Sea.
The dusting off of 60-year-old
tanks and the eyeing of civilian ships for the Navy are signs that the fight
against Ukraine isn’t going well for Russia. They’re also signs that the
Kremlin has no intention of giving up the fight anytime soon. Russia is gaining
ground slowly in east Ukraine and fighting has slowed. Moscow is losing men and
equipment but is moving swiftly to replace both.
On May 25, the Russian Duma
voted to eliminate the upper limit for military recruitment.
Previously 40, now any male over the age of 18 can serve in the Russian
military. Moscow has also been increasingly reliant on mercenaries.
