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According to a recent intelligence report by the UK Ministry of Defence, the T-62 tanks have been taken from “deep storage” into the southern region of Ukraine, where invading forces are
seeking to make territorial gains. It comes nearly a month after Putin appeared to change his expectations for the invasion from one of complete invasion to limited gains to the south and
east of the country.
The Russian dictator has never claimed the intention to fully invade Ukraine, and is believed to now want to seize at least the Russian-backed separatist regions to the east of the country.
Russian forces have withdrawn from the north of the country, near Kyiv, and according to recent intelligence are currently advancing westward through Donetsk oblast.
They are being met by a Ukrainian counter-offensive outside of Kharkiv, to the north-east, and in the south between Kherson – which is now under Russian control – and Mykolaiv.
It is in this southern field of battle that the ageing and easily targeted tanks are being deployed, according to the Ministry of Defence.
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In an update this morning, it said: “Russia’s Southern Grouping of Forces (SGF) likely remains tasked with occupying southern Ukrainian territory.
“In recent days, Russia has likely moved 50-year-old T-62 tanks from deep storage into the SGF’s area of responsibility.
“The T-62s will almost certainly be particularly vulnerable to anti-tank weapons and their presence on the battlefield highlights Russia’s shortage of modern, combat-ready equipment.”
Ukraine is well-equipped with anti-tank weaponry which can expose such weaknesses: since January, the UK has been supplying its military with defensive anti-tank missiles.
The UK and other countries have so far equipped Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops with Javelin and Stinger missiles – which have been attributed to various Russian land and air vehicles being
destroyed.
According to James Cleverly, a Foreign Office minister, Ukrainian soldiers were “anecdotally” shouting “God save the Queen” as they fired the weapons at Russian tanks.
Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine over three months ago, Russian troops have made limited gains within Ukraine, instead resorting to awful tactics.
Putin’s forces have been accused of numerous war crimes over alleged rape, murder and targeting of Ukrainian civilians.
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Reports of disorganisation and miscommunication within the Russian military that emerged early on in the invasion pointed to a splintered Russian advance. The strained army is, three months
on, suffering from exhaustion.
After several high-ranking Russian generals were killed, reports emerged recently that suggest Putin himself is now involved in decision-making at a level usually left to Brigadier
overseeing as few as 700 men.
The T-62 was first produced in the Soviet Union in 1961. MoD intelligence suggests the tanks being moved into Ukraine were built within the first decade of the model’s service.
As well as offering cramped conditions for the crew operating it, it also suffers from vulnerabilities – especially to modern weaponry.
It is believed that around 2,000 T-62s were inherited by Russia from the break-up of the Soviet Union – which largely saw the constituent nations keep whatever was on their soil.
Russian news outlet Lenta said that around 900 were preserved, but by the end of 2011 only around 150 were still in the Russian army.
In 2013, it was reported that the tanks would all be disposed, but this was later found not to be true.
Ukraine is believed to have inherited at least 300 T-62 tanks from the Soviet Union, however by 1995 there were just 85 in service and by the turn of the millennium all had been removed.
The Ministry of Defence added: “Russian ground forces continue their attempt to surround Severodonetsk and Lyschansk, recently capturing several villages north-west of Popasna.
“Russia is pressuring the Severodonetsk pocket although Ukraine retains control of multiple defended sectors, denying Russia full control of the Donbas.”
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