As the war in Ukraine drags into its 978th day, Russian forces are reportedly grappling with significant equipment shortages, leading them to deploy outdated and even recycled weaponry.
Vintage Howitzer
Faced with high resource demands and limited supply, Russia has begun pulling older artillery pieces and vehicles from storage to sustain its forces across the front lines.
In a recent promotional video, Russian soldiers were shown using a vintage D-74 122mm howitzer, a piece of artillery dating back to the 1940s and once exported to North Korea, according to L'Independent.
This weapon’s reappearance on the battlefield underscores the extent of Russia’s logistical difficulties, as reported by multiple sources.
Iconic Relics from WWII
North Korean forces and outdated Soviet-era military hardware have also been observed supporting Russian troops.
Reports from Anton Gerashchenko, a former Ukrainian official, and social media accounts covering the conflict have highlighted sightings of T-34, IS-3, and ISU-152 tanks — iconic relics from World War II.
According to Gerashchenko, these sightings were captured in a video showing troops preparing for deployment with vintage armored vehicles.
Although some speculate that these tanks may be part of an upcoming military parade, analysts see the deployment of such equipment as evidence of Russia’s urgent need to fill critical equipment gaps on the battlefield.
Observations from conflict-tracking accounts, including the widely followed Twitter account NoelReports, confirm the deployment of old tanks and suggest they were taken out of storage to support operations.
Adding to these challenges, North Korean soldiers reportedly have been spotted on Russian training grounds, signaling deeper collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang as Russia attempts to compensate for ongoing supply shortages.
