International- Ukraine's older, Soviet-era tanks are facing a handful of issues on the battlefield.
- Old tanks break, get stuck, and sometimes don't even fire, a Ukrainian tank platoon commander told the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's tank operators are having a lot of problems with their old Soviet-era tanks, giving soldiers more and more reasons to seek more advanced, modern tanks from NATO countries.
Ukrainian units report that their older T-64 tanks are getting stuck in mud, are constantly in need of repair, and sometimes won't even fire. Although Kyiv's forces have been able to deal out a lot of damage with these tanks, some say it's time for an upgrade.
A tank platoon commander with the 1st Tank Brigade identified only as Yehor told The Kyiv Independent that his platoon of T-64 tanks, which have been critical to Ukraine's defense and have given infantry a much-needed firepower boost, "see action constantly."
"If a massed breakthrough attempt happens, only tanks can handle it," Yehor told the Ukrainian news outlet. "It's the only unit that has enough armor and firepower to handle any problem — infantry or other tanks."
But while Yehor's T-64 tanks have been indispensable, he said it's getting harder to keep them running. Part of the reason is the weather, as early spring continues leave the battlefield covered in mud — limiting mobility.
Yehor acknowledged that the tanks are becoming more difficult to repair and sometimes don't even fire in the heat of battle.
"We have situations where 3-5 tanks go out to extinguish a push and 2-3 of them fail to fire," he told the Kyiv Independent. "Today, it could be working fine, it starts up, everything is good; tomorrow it goes out and can't shoot."
The T-64 is Soviet-era armor designed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv during the 1960s. At the time, these weapons featured pioneering technologies such as an auto-loading 125mm main gun, composite armor that allowed it to take more hits, and anti-tank missile capabilities. T-64s also only required a crew of three to operate.
Over the years, Ukrainian forces have made upgrades to these tanks. Kyiv has, for example, developed newer models of the T-64 that are equipped with better fire power and improved armor.
According to an open-source intelligence analysis from Oryx, Ukraine has seen at least 480 of its tanks destroyed, damaged, captured, or abandoned, and a majority of these have been T-64 variants. Though that figure represents significant losses, it is overshadowed by the number of tanks that Russia has lost, which is well over 1,800.
As Ukraine continues to defend its eastern regions against invading Russian forces trying to execute a brutal new offensive, its calls for a huge amount of modern and advanced Western tanks have grown louder.
"Why is Ukraine asking for tanks?" Yehor asked in his interview. "Because our machines are no longer pulling off what's being asked of them, they're no longer able to fulfill their assignments."
And Western tanks are coming. Some have already arrived, but others may still be months away. In the meantime, Ukraine has been tasked with weathering an ongoing Russian offensive for long enough to hold out for the delivery of heavy Western armor, which includes Abrams, Challenger, and Leopard tanks made by the US and its NATO partners Britain and Germany.