According to Conflict Intelligence Team, Russia sent ancient T-54s to Ukraine due to operable modern tank shortages swirling.
“The train [with T-55s] has recently departed from the town of Arsenyev, Primorsky region, where the 1295th Central Tank Repair and Storage Base is located,” OSINT team said.
They also noted that the deployment and use of T-62 tanks by the Russian Armed Forces during the current invasion has been documented since the summer of 2022, but it is the first recorded instance of T-54/55 tanks withdrawal from storage.
The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945. From the late 1950s, the T-54 eventually became the main tank for armoured units of the Soviet Army, armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, and many others.
The T-54 had thicker hull armour (80 mm on the sides, 30 mm on the roof and 20 mm on the bottom). The 100 mm gun fired BR-412 series full-calibre APHE ammunition, which had superior penetration ability when compared to the T-34 that it replaced. It could hold 34 shells and usually came with two 7.62 mm machine guns. Some models had a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun.
The T-54/55 is the most-produced tank in military history. The Soviets produced a staggering 83,500 tanks. The Poles and Czechs made 21,000 more. China cloned it and made sure North Korea, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia had as many as they needed.
T-54s and T-55s have been involved in many of the world’s armed conflicts since their introduction in the second half of the 20th century. Perhaps one of the most battle-tested tanks ever.
More than 70 years of service and no end in sight.
Source : Defence Blog
