Is Putin running out of modern equipment?
Russia is reactivating ancient tanks for use in Ukraine
May 9, 2026 – 5:06 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Since the start of the war, Russia has lost thousands of tanks. Now combat vehicles that were built during Soviet times are appearing at the front.
According to reports from Ukraine, Russia is apparently bringing modernized Soviet-made T-72A main battle tanks to the front. Photos on social networks are said to show T-72AM vehicles in use with a Russian regiment in the Donetsk region.
The T-72A was developed back in the 1970s. According to the Ukrainian media “Euromaidan Press”, Russia removed numerous stored models from depots last year and modernized them. The information cannot currently be independently verified.
The tanks are said to have been equipped, among other things, with additional protection against drone attacks. According to the report, this includes reactive armor and metal structures above the turret, which are intended to make attacks from the air more difficult.
However, military experts point out that older models such as the T-72A have weaker basic armor compared to newer Russian main battle tanks. At the same time, armored vehicles are now considered particularly vulnerable on both sides of the war – especially by mines and combat drones.
According to the report, the affected Russian regiment is said to be stationed near the eastern Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka. The region is considered one of the focal points of the current Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.
According to Western estimates, Moscow has lost thousands of tanks since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. Russia is therefore increasingly turning to older vehicles from Soviet stocks.
