Russia’s military depots have experienced a significant depletion of tanks, armored vehicles, and other military equipment after two and a half years of conflict in Ukraine, according to an OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) analysis by Digi24.
A Substantial Reduction
Comparing satellite images from before the invasion in February 2022 with more recent photos from 2023 and 2024, the study revealed that Russian military stockpiles have been almost halved.
The analysis, covering over 50 depots, shows a substantial reduction in stored equipment, much of which dates back to the Soviet era. Notable examples include the armored vehicle depot near Ulan Ude, the capital of Buryatia, where satellite images from 2021 show around 1,100 vehicles.
By 2023, approximately 500 of these vehicles were missing. Another major depot near Vagjanova saw a similar reduction, where the number of armored vehicles dropped from 3,800 before the invasion to 2,270 by mid-2023, marking a 40% decrease.
Lost Over 3,300 Tanks
Most of the equipment withdrawn from these depots includes outdated models, like the T-62 tanks, which were originally produced during the Cold War era.
Despite their obsolescence, these tanks have been pulled from storage and sent to the front lines in Ukraine, where Russian forces have suffered considerable losses.
According to OSINT data from Oryx, Russia has lost over 3,300 tanks and more than 6,000 other armored vehicles since the beginning of the conflict, either destroyed, damaged, or captured.
In response to these losses, Russia is equipping newly formed units with what remains in storage. Moscow has announced that by 2024, the military will receive over 36,000 new pieces of combat equipment, but details remain unclear on the exact types of equipment.
Despite this replenishment effort, the continued reliance on aging Soviet-era vehicles raises concerns about the future effectiveness and sustainability of Russia’s military, particularly as the war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating.
