Russian Army Receives New T-90M Tanks Despite Sanctions as Defense Industry Supports Ukraine War.

Russia has delivered another batch of T-90M Proryv main battle tanks to the Russian armed forces, according to state manufacturer Uralvagonzavod. The shipment highlights how Moscow’s wartime economy continues to sustain high-cost military production despite nearly four years of international sanctions.

Russian tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod has delivered a new batch of T-90M Proryv main battle tanks to the Russian armed forces, the company announced ahead of the New Year 2026. Footage broadcast on Russian national television showed the tanks leaving the factory floor and being transported by rail to operational units, marking another visible example of Russia sustaining heavy weapons production despite years of international sanctions.
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Newly produced T-90M Proryv main battle tanks loaded onto flatbed railway cars at Uralvagonzavod’s Nizhny Tagil facility, en route for delivery to Russian Army units, December 2025. The shipment underscores Russia’s ongoing production of armored vehicles despite international sanctions. (Picture source: Uralvagonzavod)

The T-90M represents the most modern and combat-effective tank in the Russian Army’s inventory. Introduced into service shortly before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the T-90M was designed as a deep modernization of the T-90 platform, incorporating enhancements drawn from lessons learned from recent conflicts. The tank features the latest-generation explosive reactive armor (Relikt), an improved 125mm smoothbore gun with an autoloader, advanced fire-control systems, including the Kalina battle-management suite, and a more powerful V-92S2F diesel engine generating 1,130 horsepower. It is also equipped with a panoramic thermal sight for the commander and modern communications systems to integrate with combined-arms networks.

What sets the T-90M apart is its survivability and lethality in high-threat environments. It incorporates both passive and reactive protection systems, and recent frontline footage suggests it is being increasingly deployed alongside electronic warfare assets and reconnaissance drones to maximize its battlefield effectiveness. In terms of firepower, mobility, and digital integration, it significantly outclasses older Soviet-era tanks such as the T-72B3 and T-80BVM still in Russian service.

As Ukraine’s battlefield tactics evolve with greater reliance on Western-supplied anti-tank guided missiles, tandem-charge warheads, and loitering munitions, Russia has accelerated the adaptation of its armor to meet these emerging threats. Military sources and recent combat imagery indicate that the T-90M is undergoing continuous upgrades to its protection suite in direct response to Ukrainian innovations in drone warfare and precision munitions. Field modifications have become increasingly visible, including slat-armor cages designed to disrupt FPV drone flight paths and turret-top mesh screens intended to defeat top-attack munitions such as the Javelin and the Swedish-supplied NLAW.

In recent months, battlefield footage has revealed the presence of new electronic countermeasure systems mounted on T-90Ms, believed to be adapted from existing EW jamming kits used by Russian infantry and UAV units. These devices appear to be intended to confuse or disable drone targeting systems while the tank moves through contested zones. Furthermore, some units have been seen equipped with improvised “cope cages,” and infrared signature suppressors intended to mitigate visibility to thermal-guided loitering munitions.

Russian defense industry sources have indicated more permanent factory-level changes to the T-90M's armor configuration, suggesting that Uralvagonzavod is now manufacturing newer batches with integrated counter-drone shielding and upgraded soft-kill protection systems. These adaptations aim to address the growing asymmetry of drone warfare, which has emerged as one of the defining features of the Ukrainian battlefield since late 2023. Russian commanders have reportedly issued directives prioritizing the survivability of high-value platforms such as the T-90M by combining physical armor upgrades with EW support and mobility tactics.

The continued production and delivery of the T-90M are critical to the Russian military, which has sustained heavy losses of armored vehicles throughout the war. Western estimates suggest that thousands of tanks and armored vehicles have been destroyed or captured since 2022, prompting an urgent need to replenish and modernize front-line forces. As Ukraine fields Western-supplied tanks such as the M1A1 Abrams, Leopard 2A6, and Challenger 2, Russia is racing to maintain technological and numerical parity through domestic production, with the T-90M as the backbone of that effort.

For Russian commanders, the T-90M is not just a tool of firepower but also a strategic symbol of industrial resilience. Its deployment enables Russian forces to sustain offensive operations, particularly in contested regions such as Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and around Kupiansk, where mechanized assaults and positional warfare demand robust armored capabilities. In these sectors, the T-90M provides a mobile platform capable of spearheading attacks, resisting anti-tank ambushes, and engaging enemy armor in stand-off battles.

Despite international embargoes intended to disrupt Russia’s access to Western-made electronics, optics, and thermal imaging systems, Uralvagonzavod continues to deliver modern tanks at a steady pace. Analysts suggest that component substitution and parallel supply chains through China, Central Asia, and Iran have allowed the Russian defense industry to maintain output, albeit at the cost of reduced performance in some subsystems.

This latest delivery underscores a broader shift in Russia’s wartime economy. With military production now prioritized nationwide and much of the industrial base operating under defense orders, the Kremlin has turned to mass manufacturing as a strategic lever to prolong its campaign. The T-90M has emerged as the centerpiece of this effort, ensuring that Russia retains a credible armored force despite high attrition.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.