According to Polish observers, the T-72B3M of the Russian Armed Forces are seen less and less often on the front lines. This is due to an acute shortage of spare parts, in particular for power plants, which affects the repair time of the equipment.
A video has appeared on the network that recorded the transportation of Russian T-72B3M tanks and trucks through the St. Petersburg area. The footage was shot near the 61st tank repair plant, where these tanks were probably being repaired and modernized, the Defense8 resource reported on October 24.
Several Ural trucks can also be seen in the video, however, according to reports on social media, there should be more vehicles in the echelon, including UAZ SUVs, although they are not shown in the video.
The publication writes that in reports on new deliveries of the Russian army to Ukraine, modernized T-72B3M are increasingly rare - this is in contrast to T-90M and T-62M tanks. This trend may be related to the exhaustion of stocks of tanks suitable for quick repair, as well as to the acute shortage of spare parts, in particular for power plants. According to the Oryx website, Russia has already irretrievably lost at least 644 T-72B3 tanks during the hostilities in Ukraine, of which 186 were captured by Ukrainian forces.
Briefly about the T-72B3M
The T-72B3M is the latest modernization of the T-72 series of tanks. Its primary armament includes a 2A46M-5 125 mm smoothbore gun that can fire 9K119M Reflex-M anti-tank guided missiles.
In addition, the tank is equipped with a 7,62 mm PKT machine gun and a large-caliber 12,7 mm NSVT machine gun located on the turret. The protection of the tank is strengthened by dynamic protection modules "Relict", installed on the sides of the hull and tower, and the engine compartment is covered with metal screens.
The power plant is a 1130-horsepower V-92S2F diesel, which provides the tank with high maneuverability and power.
Finally, it is noted that this modernization helps to extend the service life of the T-72B3M, however, the ongoing shortage of spare parts and losses on the battlefield may complicate the further operation of these machines.