The Russian army has continued to respond to heavy armor losses by deploying 60-year-old T-62 main battle tanks, according to the latest intelligence released by the British Ministry of Defence.
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London reports that there is a possibility that even units of the 1st Guards Tank Army (GTA), believed to be Russia’s premier tank force, will be re-equipped with T-62s to compensate for previous losses. This unit was previously supposed to receive the next generation “T-14 Armata” tanks from 2021.
In recent days, Russian BTR-50 armored personnel carriers, which were first deployed in 1954, have been seen in Ukraine for the first time. About 800 T-62s have been taken out of storage since the summer of 2022, and some of them have received upgraded surveillance systems that are likely to improve their effectiveness at night, according to the British ministry.
However, both of these vehicle types will also make the occupants vulnerable. One of the reasons for this could be the lack of modern armor typical of these tank models, British intelligence officers concluded.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 6 March 2023
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— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 6, 2023
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in the early morning of February 24, 2022, with missile fire, airstrikes, and the arrival of ground forces. Russia initially cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as one of the goals of the invasion.
The occupiers in Ukraine have suffered heavy losses and are accused of deliberate killing of civilians, as well as other war crimes.
