Possible sign of deployment of Russian T-14 Armata tanks in Ukraine

According to a video published on the Russian Social Network "VK" on November 20, 2022, the T-14 Armata, the latest generation of Russian Main Battle Tank (MBT), was spotted at a military training ground near Kazan, where Russian mobilized military personnel is being trained. The loss by Russian forces in Ukraine of an important number of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and this training, could indicate a future deployment of T-14 Armata in Ukraine.
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A T-14 Armata Main Battle Tank was spotted at a military training ground near Kazan. (Picture source Screen shot video footage VK Russian Social Network)

Citing open source information, around 1,500 Russian Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) would have been destroyed, damaged, abandoned, and captured in the fighting in Ukraine. Before the beginning of the war and according to the Military Balance 2021, the Russian army had a total of 2,840 operational tanks including 650 T-72B/BA, 850 T-72B3, 530 T-72B3M, 310 T-80BV/U, 140 T-80BVM, 350 T-90 / T-90A, and 10 T-90M.

The Russian armed forces will have also 10,200 tanks in store including 7,000 T-72/T-72A/B, 3,000 T-80B/BV/U, 200 T-90 as well as an undisclosed number of different variants of T-62 and T-55. In recent weeks, Russian forces have already sent T-62 and T-62M tanks to compensate for their tank losses in the fighting in Ukraine.

According to figures published on the internet, Russia has already lost 50% of its fleet of operational combat tanks. The possibility of sending T-14 Armata tanks to Ukraine could also make it possible to assess its operational and combat capabilities. Russia has already done this strategy in Syria for other new generations of Russian-made combat equipment.

Citing the Russian press agency TASS, on November 29, 2022, it was announced that the Russian army will receive the first batch of 20 T-14 Armata tanks by the end of the year.

T-14 Armata Main Battle Tank was displayed by Uralvagonzavod during the Military Technical Forum near Moscow in August 2021. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The T-14 is the latest generation of Russian-made MBT based on the Armata platform developed by Uralvagonzavod and unveiled at the Victory Day Parade on May 9, 2015. With the T-14 Armata, Russia had launched a new design for the main battle tank, with a three-man crew located at the front of the hull and the use of a fully remotely operated turret. With this design, the crew is located in an internal armor capsule that is isolated from ammunition and fuel, a layout that could significantly increase the chances for the crew's survival if the tank is hit. This type of design is also used now by European and American manufacturers of tanks, such as the new K51 from Germany, the EMBT jointly developed by France and Germany, and the Abrams-X

The T-14 Armata is armed with a new generation of 125mm 2A82-1M smoothbore gun with an automatic loader and 32 rounds ready to use. The main gun can fire also a new laser-guided missile with a range from 7 to 12 km.

In terms of protection, the T-14 Armata is fitted with a new generation of armor that provides a high level of protection against modern ammunition and anti-tank guided missiles. It also has an APS (Active Protection System) and different levels of ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor).

The T-14 Armata is powered by a gas-turbine engine developing 1,500 hp coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission. There is information that the Armata would also have electric transmission to reduce the weight of the vehicle and increase the use of add-on armor. Despite its weight of around 50 tons, the tank can run at a maximum road speed of up to 90 km/h with a maximum cruising of 500 km.