At the beginning of the invasion, Ukrainian forces demolished a Russian tank near Kyiv.

The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) has calculated that the Russian military has endured a loss of approximately 40% of its tanks since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, compared to the number it held before the conflict. The percentage of tanks used in battle can climb as high as 50%, causing Russia to use its still considerable cold war-era inventories. 

The exact number of tanks in Russia’s arsenal is difficult to determine due to the lack of available information; however, it is estimated that up to 40% of its prewar fleet has been lost since the start of the war in Ukraine. Of those losses, some 50% can be attributed to the tanks used in combat. This has forced Russia to draw upon their still considerable cold-war-era stocks for replacements. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s tank numbers have risen due to captured vehicles and reinforcements from Western countries. 

John Chipman, the leader of the think tank, asserted that the conflict had been a “political and military misadventure for Russia,” spotlighting defects in leadership and weaknesses in its arms, notwithstanding the Kremlin’s modernization endeavors.