Ukrainian drone operators observed a Russian assault force, which included troops and vehicles from the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, advancing towards their lines outside Novopokrovka. The lead tank, a T-55 from the 1950s, was equipped with crude anti-drone armor. The assault was met with heavy resistance from the Ukrainian 118th Mechanized Brigade, resulting in the destruction of at least 11 Russian vehicles, including the outdated T-55 tank.
Despite struggling with ammunition supplies due to blocked U.S. aid, Ukrainian forces have been consistently defeating large Russian assault groups along the frontlines of the wider war in Ukraine. Russian losses of modern vehicles have led to the reactivation of outdated tanks like the T-55, which had been sitting in storage for decades. The Russian industry cannot produce enough modern vehicles to replace the losses incurred each month, prompting the Kremlin to deploy older vehicles to compensate for the losses.
The Russian armed forces are facing significant challenges in replacing the modern tanks and vehicles lost in the conflict, as production capabilities fall short. This has led to the deployment of outdated tanks like the T-55 and T-62, with regiments and divisions receiving these 60 to 70-year-old vehicles. Russian vehicle losses since the start of the invasion in February 2022 exceed 15,000, including nearly 2,900 tanks, surpassing the active service numbers from two years ago.
Russian assaults now involve the use of unarmored civilian vehicles, including Chinese-made Desertcross golf carts, to replace the armored losses. In some cases, Russian units have been compelled to conduct infantry assaults due to a lack of armored vehicles. The depletion of Ukrainian munition stocks, as a result of limited military aid, has emboldened Russian leaders to initiate further offensive operations to make gains on the battlefield, even at the cost of losing modern vehicles and replacing them with much older vehicles or civilian vehicles.
The Royal United Services Institute in London predicted that Russia intends to capitalize on the opportunity presented by Ukraine’s depleted ammunition stocks to advance and make significant gains on the battlefield. However, the current offensive could prove costly for Russia, as they may struggle to replenish their military resources given the rate of losses being incurred. If the offensive fails and U.S. aid is reinstated, Russians may find themselves in a situation where they have spent their army and have limited means to rebuild it, while Ukrainians regain the initiative on the battlefield.
