Scorched: Russia’s Lost 1,200 T-72 tanks in Ukraine War

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons

This week, Ukraine Weapons Tracker published footage depicting the destruction of a Russian T-72B3 main battle tank (MBT) near Donetsk Oblast.

In the video, a lone armored vehicle appears to be traversing across a field when it suddenly erupts in fumes of smoke.

According to the Twitter handle, the MBT was taken out by the Ukrainian 56thMotorized Brigade after running over an anti-tank mine. Interestingly, the tank did not appear to have backup and was traveling alone, making it an easy target.

Russia’s stockpile of MBTs have not fared well throughout the last fourteen-plus months of warfare in Ukraine.

According to Oryx, Russia lost roughly 1,200 T-72 tanks in the first 12 months of the conflict. Some of these MBTs were destroyed by Ukrainian projectiles, others were left behind by ill-equipped Russian troops or captured.

A brief overview of the T-72 MBT

Since its introduction nearly fifty years ago, the T-72 MBT has remained a mainstay of the Russian military. The tank was first produced in 1970 by the former USSR to effectively counter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

Over the years, the T-72 became widely exported- more than 30 countries procured roughly 18,000 vehicles prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to The Tank Museum at Bovington Camp in South West England’s Dorset County, “The T-72 is the most widely used main battle tank in the world. It has been manufactured in six countries, is in service with the armies of 35 nations and has fought in all the major wars of the last 20 years.”