Ukraine may have tank advantage over Russia for first time since 2022 - Forbes

According to the American magazine, Ukraine's tank advantage is achieved through the use of drones, which force Russian tanks to retreat kilometers away from the frontline and operate only from concealed, fortified positions far from the battlefield.

Forbes noted that these limitations effectively turn Russian tanks into inaccurate howitzers rather than assault vehicles, which their designers initially intended them to be.

Drones are changing the rules of war, with robotic systems of all types increasingly dominating the modern battlefield.

Forbes analysts based their findings on the testimony of a Russian blogger, translated by Estonian analyst WarTranslated.

Specifically, a war correspondent from Russia stated that, due to restrictions on the use of tanks by Russian forces, Ukrainian tanks operate more freely on the frontlines. This is attributed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces achieving sufficient scale and variety in their drones" and "perfecting their tactics of drone use.

The American magazine noted that Ukrainian tanks could approach the frontline directly to strike enemy targets with their cannons and machine guns.

Forbes highlighted that Ukraine's potential tank advantage reflects a reverse evolution in Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine. At the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian brigades rarely engaged in direct-fire tank combat due to the overwhelming advantage of Russian artillery and aviation.

However, tiny drones and jamming systems are transforming the battlefield and shifting the tank advantage toward Ukraine, the publication states.

It is also noted that the Russian side complains about the high intensity of radio jamming of their drones by Ukrainian forces, which prevents them from similarly using drones to push tanks away from the frontline.

An exception to this new dynamic is the Kursk region, where Russian forces deploy fiber-optic drones, which cannot be jammed by conventional electronic warfare means. Recently, Russian drones in this region were reported to have successfully targeted Ukrainian tanks.

Forbes concludes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have gained a tank advantage on certain frontlines thanks to their drones. However, the Defense Forces still face the challenge of a shortage of infantry.

Tanks in the Ukrainian military

In the summer of 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that nearly 40 types of armored vehicles, both domestic and foreign-made, had been introduced into service with the Defense Forces since the beginning of Russia's full-scale military aggression.

The MoD specified that the fleet of combat-tracked and wheeled armored vehicles was expanded with American Abrams tanks, German Leopards, British Challengers, and French AMX-10 RC light tanks.

According to the specialized publication Militarnyi, Ukraine faced Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 primarily with Soviet-era military equipment and weaponry that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had at the time.

At the beginning of 2022, the primary tank in the Ukrainian military was the T-64BV, along with various upgraded versions of the model. Additionally, the arsenal included T-72 tanks of various modifications and a limited number of gas-turbine T-80BV tanks, which had undergone modernization during major overhauls or after being taken out of storage.

According to The Military Balance report, Ukraine had 858 operational tanks in service before Russia's full-scale invasion. Additional tanks in various technical conditions were stored in depots or held in reserve at military factories.