Ukraine gains tank superiority over Russia for the first time in the war

By: Mykhailo Stoliar | 13.01.2025, 09:30
Ukrainian armour in action: Overview of T-72 capabilities Ukrainian T-72 tank. Source: Oleg Petrasyuk

For the first time since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the Ukrainian defence forces have an advantage over the occupiers in the use of tanks, although this has happened only in certain areas of the frontline.

Here's What We Know

According to Forbes, this advantage is achieved through the effective development of drones that knock out Russian tanks from closed positions far from the front line. As a result, Russian armoured vehicles are effectively turning into inaccurate howitzers, losing their ability to perform their main assault tasks.

Ukrainian tanks, on the other hand, can operate more freely, striking at the contact line. The effectiveness of such actions is ensured by the sufficient number and variety of Ukrainian drones, as well as the successful tactics of their use.

Forbes also writes that the possible tank superiority of the Ukrainian Armed Forces demonstrates a "reverse development" in Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine. This is because at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian brigades "rarely" fired direct fire from tanks due to the occupiers' huge advantage in artillery and aviation.

It is also noted that the Russian side occasionally suffers from high intensity radio jamming of its drones, which makes it impossible to drive tanks a little further from the front line with drones.

However, in the Kursk region, Russian troops are using drones on fibre-optic cables that cannot be traditionally jammed. Ukrainian tanks have been hit by Russian drones here.

Despite gaining the upper hand, the Ukrainian army still faces a shortage of infantry, which is an element of support for tank operations.

It is worth noting that since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have added nearly 40 armoured vehicles to their units, including Abrams, Leopard, Challenger tanks and AMX-10 RC light tanks. Prior to the invasion, Ukraine's main tanks were T-64BV, T-72 of various modifications, and T-80BV, which were upgraded or restored from reserves.

Source: Forbes