Russia is getting more of its news model of the T-90 ready for spring, while the West is sending Ukraine tanks. The US may send some old MIA1s. But this article is about the Brits. It compares the newest T-90 with the Challenger 2.
Hit the link for technical specs.
Russia vs West tank fight next phase of Ukraine war – Asia Times
Recent developments in the Ukraine war may soon lead to massive, armored clashes in the embattled country’s east, foreshadowing encounters that had been expected in the early phases of the conflict.
In a significant escalation of Western support for Ukraine, BBC reported that the UK has pledged to send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to the embattled country, alongside 30 AS90 155 mm self-propelled guns. According to the report, the latest military aid package shows “the UK’s ambition to intensify support.”
If the deliveries are made, the UK will be the first Western country to send tanks to Ukraine, which may encourage other NATO members such as Germany, to send Leopard 2 tanks.
However, Euronews reported that Germany could send Leopard 2 tanks in 2024 at the earliest, with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall stating that it will need a confirmed order to begin repairing some of its 350 stockpiled Leopard 2 units for Ukraine.
Also, in a significant shakeup of Russia’s war leadership, last week independent media outlet Meduza reported that Russian Army General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov had been named the new commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, replacing Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces General Sergey Surovikin, who will now serve as the former’s deputy.
The report cited a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense that says that the leadership shift is a response to the increased tasks the Russian military seeks to solve and to ensure closer cooperation between various military branches.
Russian state media outlet TASS reported last December that a batch of Russia’s newest T-90M Proryv-3 tanks had arrived for action in Ukraine. TASS notes that the tank is the most advanced variant of the T-90, which is derived from the Soviet-era T-72. The report notes that upon arrival the tank crews would practice gunnery and vehicle control, after which they would join combat operations.
These developments may be in preparation for Russian large-scale armored operations in Dnipropetrovsk following the capture of Soledar and Bakhmut in the Donbas after a protracted and bloody siege.
As noted by Jean-Philippe Lefief in Le Monde this week, capturing Soledar would cut off Ukrainian supplies from reaching Bakhmut. Moreover, Lefief mentions that once Soledar and Bakhmut are captured, Russia can pursue offensive operations to take Sloviansk, a town critical to its plans to consolidate control over the Donbas region.
The capture of Sloviansk could pave the way for Russian offensive operations in the adjacent Dnipropetrovsk, which Russia bombarded during the start of the war but has been spared ground fighting and remains under Ukrainian control.
Dnipropetrovsk’s steppe region has significant features that make it ideal for large-scale armored maneuvers. Its vast open grassland spaces without tall vegetation or notable topographical features give it long lines of sight and huge maneuver space conducive for tank warfare, which until now has been largely absent in the Ukraine war, despite Russia and Ukraine fielding significant numbers of Soviet-era tanks.