Russia has completely run out of modern tanks in its warehouses, according to an OSINT analyst.

The army is supplied with either brand new vehicles straight off the assembly line or junk from the 1960s.

Russia has completely exhausted its stockpiles of more or less modern tanks. The remaining tanks are either beyond repair or completely obsolete, according to open source intelligence (OSINT) analyst Covert Cabal , who specializes in studying Russian military equipment storage facilities using satellite imagery.

He notes that before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, T-62 tanks (in serial production from 1962 to 1975) constituted only a small fraction of the total number of tanks in storage in Russia. The bulk of Russia’s tank stockpiles consisted of more modern late-model T-72s and T-80s.

However, during the war, virtually all modern tanks capable of repair were withdrawn from storage. Therefore, the T-62s have now become the last major, untapped source of tanks for the aggressor.

According to Covert Cabal’s estimates, as of the beginning of this year, the following still remain in Russian storage bases:

112 T-55 units (very old vehicles);
784 T-62 units;
449 T-64 units (the Russian Federation does not have the equipment or experience to repair them, since they were produced in Kharkov);
452 T-72 and T-72A tanks (very early versions that are not much better technically than the T-62);
188 T-72B units;
141 T-80 units.

According to the analyst, the T-80 and T-72B tanks that still remain in storage are likely in extremely poor condition and are practically unsuitable for restoration.

Thus, in addition to a small number of new tanks, which Russia is producing entirely from scratch, the aggressor must rely exclusively on the obsolete T-62 tanks, which have remained largely untouched to replenish its active army.

“The T-62 was a great tank about 50 years ago. But by modern standards, its armor is weak, as it was designed before composite armor was standard. Its firepower is insufficient due to its smaller gun, it has poor maneuverability, an unreliable powertrain, and a woefully outdated fire control system and electronics, to name just a few of the problems,” notes Covert Cabal.

In his opinion, the technical concept of the T-62 itself, its basic design and hull make it unsuitable for the modern battlefield.

“These T-62s are the last large stockpile of a single type of tank remaining. All newer tanks have already been used up. T-90s – zero. T-80s – only 8% of what they used to be, that is, minus 1,500 tanks. T-72s of all types – a decrease of more than 2,000, and most of those remaining are in extremely questionable condition. Taking all this into account, Russia is no longer a ‘nation of tanks’,” the analyst concludes.

(C)UNIAN 2026