Russia, with all of its bravado and confidence when they started attacking Ukraine, has been experiencing a lot of mishaps in the battlefield. The latest one is their elite tank unit “tanking” mid-battle (yes, pun intended).

The 1st Guards Tank Army (1st GTA) of the Russian military is supposedly one of their most elite and important forces in their current arsenal. They are an armored corps that specializes in combined-arms warfare, specifically defending against enemy armored assaults. The 1st GTA was formed in 1941 and played a key role during the Great Patriotic War, defending Moscow from German advances towards the city. Since then, it has taken part in various operations including the Soviet war in Afghanistan and Chechnya as well as providing defense for Russia’s eastern border. However, these tanks, probably because of little-to-no maintenance, are starting to break down even as Russian fighters are using them in the middle of battle.

The 1st GTA is currently deployed along Russia’s defensive line in the Luhansk Oblast region of Ukraine, where they have suffered heavy losses due to clashes with Ukrainian forces. However, despite being well below its usual strength of 25,000 personnel, the MoD has ordered a new wave of Putin’s conscripts to help patch up these losses and replenish the ranks for future battles.

BMP-2
(Source: 270862/Flickr)

The primary purpose of the 1st GTA is to protect Russia from potential armored invasions on any front. As such, it is equipped with some of Russia’s best battle tanks such as T-90A main battle tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles. In addition, they also carry out reconnaissance missions using motorized infantry units alongside drones and other aerial surveillance capabilities to provide intelligence on enemy movements or possible targets.

The importance of this army lies not only in its physical presence but also its psychological impact on enemies when resisting invasions or conflicts on Russian soil. As a result of its victories throughout history during World War 2 and later conflicts such as Chechnya, this unit has earned a fearsome reputation among those who would oppose them or threaten Russian security. This fear was even reflected by Nazi Germany’s General Heinz Guderian, the Father of Blitzkrieg who acknowledged the strength of the Russian tanks infantry.