Russia’s Tank Arsenal Is Decimated, Only T-34s On Parade

By Maya Carlin, Analyst, Center for Security Policy

The Soviet-era T-34 main battle tank made headlines earlier this month when it was the only Russian armored vehicle present during the country’s annual Victory Day celebration.

Typically, Moscow lines Red Square with hundreds of its best military platforms to celebrate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during the Second World War. This year, however, the lone WWII relic carried the show on its turret. 

The Kremlin has worked hard to purchase remaining T-34 tanks from Laos and Vietnam in order to display these antiquated but historically significant MBTs for public use. 

While the T-34 may have been a formidable powerhouse in its heyday, the tank’s presence at Moscow’s Victory Day parade further emphasizes Russia’s diminishing stockpile of heavy weaponry.

T-34 MBT: A Brief History

In the late 1930s, the Soviets’ two premiere tanks, the T-26 and the BT series, were derived in part from foreign designs. American engineer J. Walter Christie created the suspension system used in the American-made M1928 tank, and this was also utilized in the BT tanks. 

Additionally, the T-26 was based on the British Vickers 6-Ton armored vehicle. Around this time period, the Soviet Army tasked a domestic engineer to create a new tank design that could replace the BT MBTs. T-34 tanks took over production lines by 1940.

T-34 Specs & Capabilities

Perhaps the T-34’s greatest step forward from its predecessors was its high degree of mobility. Compared to the T-26 and the BT MBTs, the T-34 had a much better cross-country performance due to its American-inspired coil suspension. The USSR’s previous tanks featured leaf-spring suspension systems, which were simply less dynamic. The T-34 could attain 32 miles per hour, a relatively decent pace for MBTs of the era.