How Many Tanks Does Russia Have Left?

The conflict with Ukraine has been rapidly destroying Russia's tanks, and it seems as though the country can't keep up with the destruction. By the fall of 2024, over 9,000 tanks and infantry vehicles had been destroyed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. By early 2025, that number had risen to more than 11,000. This includes around 3,000 T-80 tanks, a Soviet Union-era tank that has been in service since the 1970s and is considered one of the worst tanks ever built due to its high level of maintenance and fuel consumption.

Most other tanks being depleted by the ongoing conflict are from this same era, including T-64s and T-72s.The exact number of tanks left in Russia's arsenal is difficult to confirm, but The Insider estimates that there are currently around 2,000 tanks, 2,000 infantry fighting vehicles, and 3,000 armored personnel carriers left. This is roughly between 41% and 52% of the nation's pre-war reserves left, most of which are in poor condition beyond repair. With most T-80s gone, Russia's tank reserves include outdated models like the T-62. 

One key reason Russia continues to lose tanks at a rapid pace is due to the country's repair and maintenance capabilities. Russia's facilities for repairing armored vehicles are not known to be very advanced. Due to this, Russia currently manufactures just 250 of its T-90M tanks and 460 of its BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles each year — nowhere near enough to keep up with the losses. And some experts believe it's even less. "The capabilities of Russian industry to produce modern tanks are extremely limited, with 100-200 tanks per year," retired Military Officer and Defense Expert Viktor Kevliuk told the Kyiv Independent.

Meanwhile, Russia's large T-14 tank is still stuck in development. Based on satellite analysis of Russia's storage bases, Military Analyst Andriy Tarasenko believes that Russia's equipment reserves will be completely depleted in 12 to 18 months unless Russia amps up production to 1,000 armored vehicles a year. He explained to The Insider that the pace of production is not enough to replace lost tanks with new ones. While Russian tank production is increasing, Tarasenko theorized that Russia would need to purchase old equipment from other countries if it wanted production to increase, which would take too many resources and time to be realistic.

It's currently estimated that Russia will be running critically low on military vehicles by late 2025 or early 2026 if the conflict continues at this same rate. With Russia running out of tanks, will the country have to retreat from Ukraine? Not necessarily. While it seems as though the country will run out of tanks in under a year, the reality is that Russia would likely switch its tactics entirely — Russia has already started implementing air-launched glide bombs and driving ATVs and motorcycles. 

It's also theorized that Russia will get its armored vehicles from other sources. Evidence suggests that North Korea could be a likely ally in supplying tanks and other vehicles, since Kim Jong Un has already been sending over advanced war technology, like anti-tank missile systems, short-range air defense systems, and self-propelled artillery. It's possible that North Korea could send over its newer and more battle-ready tanks as Russia's dated tanks continue to disappear. Meanwhile, Ukraine has only lost 3,000 of its armored vehicles, including tanks, as the war continues.