Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. AP
The war that was expected to be over within a few days has now stretched for almost two months as Russia’s ambitions of quickly taking over Ukraine were met with the gritty determination of the Ukrainian forces.
Even while equipped with advanced weaponry Russian forces have faced tough resistance from Ukrainian and allied forces that pushed them back from several regions that were easily occupied in the early days of the war.
Russia, in the last 50-odd days, has lost personnel, weapons and armoury, including a great number of tanks. What is it that is making Russia lose its tanks on Ukrainian grounds, let’s find out:
How many tanks have the Russians lost?
According to the Ukrainian armed forces’ official Facebook page, Russia lost 684 tanks as of 5 April.
The number is estimated to be 476, according to Oryx, a military and intelligence blog which keeps a count of military losses based on photos from the warzone. Of the 476 tanks, 236 were destroyed, eight were damaged, 40 were abandoned and 192 were captured.
The blog puts the total number of the lost armoured vehicles at 2,776.
According to American think tank Rand Corporation and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Russia had more than 2,770 tanks before the war began.
What’s behind Russia’ loss of tanks?
Anti-tank weapons sent by NATO countries, including the US have played a significant role in defending against Russia’s onslaught.
According to the BBC, the US supplied Ukraine with 2,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles at the start of the conflict. It has sent at least 2,000 more since then.
According to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, Javelins can be fired so that the missile explodes on the top of a tank, where the armour is the weakest.
The UK has also sent at least 3,600 Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapon missiles (NLAW), which are also designed to explode above the relatively exposed turret top of tanks.
The US has also sent 100 Switchblade “kamikaze” drones to Ukraine. The automated drones can hover at a distance from the target and strike at a suitable time.
Also read: What are kamikaze drones? The new weapons that US might send to Ukraine
Logistical failure, Russian incompetence
Oryx’s figures show that half of the lost Russian tanks have not been destroyed or damaged by the Ukrainian forces but have been captured or abandoned.
Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at St Andrews University, puts its down to the incompetence of Russian troops and logistical failures.
“You’ve seen pictures of Russian tanks being dragged off by Ukrainian farmers’ tractors,” says Prof O’Brien, as quoted by the BBC.
Nick Reynolds, research analyst in land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), says some of the tanks were abandoned as they ran out of fuel, indicating a logistical failure on Russia’s part.
Also, to blame is the muddy season in Ukraine, called “bezdorizhzhya”, which loosely translates to “off-road” but is used to refer to the conditions during spring season when rain or melting snow on unpaved roads causes deep mud.
“Some of those tanks were abandoned because they ran out of fuel. That’s a logistical failure. Some got stuck in the springtime mud, because the high command invaded at the wrong time of year,” Reynolds told the BBC.
With inputs from agencies
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