Russia Rolls Out More T-90M Tanks Despite Heavy Battlefield Losses
Uralvagonzavod has delivered a new batch of T-90M, T-72B3M, and T-80BVM main battle tanks to the Russian Army, adding more upgraded armored vehicles to Moscow’s ground forces. While the company confirmed the transfer, it did not reveal how many tanks were included in the shipment.
According to the manufacturer, the delivered vehicles were fitted with additional protective structures. That detail points to continued efforts to improve survivability on the battlefield, where tanks face constant threats from anti-tank guided missiles, drones, artillery, and loitering munitions. Extra protection has become an increasingly visible feature on Russian armored vehicles deployed during the war.
The three tank types in this delivery all represent heavily modernized versions of Soviet-era platforms. Each is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun, but they differ in armor layout, fire-control systems, mobility characteristics, and onboard equipment. Although they share a common legacy, each model fills a slightly different role within Russia’s armored forces.
The T-90M is widely regarded in Russia as the most advanced and costly tank in the T-72/T-90 family. It is also the most comprehensive upgrade of the line, featuring a newly designed welded turret and a range of modernized systems. One of its more recognizable features is a turret-mounted machine gun housed in a remotely controlled combat module, allowing the crew to engage targets without exposing themselves to enemy fire.
The T-72B3M remains one of Russia’s most important upgraded tank models due to its balance of cost, availability, and combat capability. The T-80BVM, meanwhile, is a modernized version of the gas-turbine-powered T-80 series, a platform long valued for mobility and cold-weather performance. Together, these tanks form a major part of Russia’s attempt to sustain and refresh its armored inventory through modernization rather than entirely new production.
At the same time, all three models have already seen combat losses in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Ukrainian forces have destroyed T-90M, T-72B3M, and T-80BVM tanks in battle. The first confirmed destruction of a T-90M took place in 2022, marking an early symbolic setback for what Russia presents as one of its most capable armored vehicles. Ukrainian troops also captured an intact T-90M Proryv in the Kharkiv region, offering a rare opportunity to examine one of Russia’s most modern tanks up close.
The latest delivery highlights a central reality of the war: Russia continues to rely on upgraded Soviet-era designs to replace battlefield losses and maintain combat power. While these modernized tanks offer improvements in protection, firepower, and crew systems, their battlefield record shows that even the most advanced variants remain vulnerable in a high-intensity war shaped by precision strikes, drones, and layered anti-armor defenses.
