It is interesting that the Russians are sending in ancient T-72s to save their newly produced T-90s for the future.
Russia is scrounging up ancient T-72s to make them ready to fight Ukraine:
Until recently, Russia had primarily relied on restoring T-72B and T-80 tanks to replenish its battlefield losses. ...
forcing the military to fall back on older, more degraded systems like the T-72A and even earlier T-72 “Ural” variants.
With much older reports that Russia was restoring T-62s and even older T-55s for battlefield use as infantry support tanks, are those stocks depleted? And why weren't the old T-72s priority back then? Were the T-72 too new to be easily put back in use because they need updates where the older stuff would "work" with less effort?
At the same time, Russia is stocking up on their newly produced modern T-90Ms:
Despite the increase in production, Russia has reportedly become more cautious in deploying tanks in combat operations. Both CIT and ISW observe a reduction in frontline use of armored vehicles since late 2024.
Why is Russia holding hundreds of these T-72Ms back from the war?
We won't speak of the T-14 Armata tank of the future, okay?
Is Russia building a reserve to fight NATO in the Baltics region?
It would be Athenian Sicilian Expedition level of stupid to attack NATO out of frustration while Ukraine still resists. That would expand a war they are having trouble winning against a much smaller country 3-1/2 years after invading Ukraine by forcing the much more powerful NATO into the war. With all the nuclear implications that would create.
Does Russia really think that's the way to keep going?
Is Russia building a reserve to deter China in the Far East?
That makes sense under the circumstances, but does this means Russia is prepared to accept a lower-level war in Ukraine for years on end to build a force able to give China pause
Is Russia building a reserve to finally launch a major offensive against Ukraine?
That's something I've hoped Ukraine would do and feared Russia would do. And Russia needs to take Ukraine off the board if Russia intends to bolster defenses against China. If peace without victory is off the table as Putin claims, that only leaves victory.
The same applies if Russia intends to be ready to fight NATO that Russia needlessly alarmed and pushed to rearm. Russia needs the war with Ukraine to end with victory.
Or maybe the reserves of troops and of modern tanks are separate issues. Maybe Russia wants a new Big Push against Ukraine—but with the older tanks—while keeping the new tanks in reserve to quickly rebuild a more modern army with its best tanks after the war is won. Trained troops and officers already killed off are a different matter altogether, obviously. But it would be a start.
And Putin could fool himself that he doesn’t have to make hard choices in pursuit of Russian greatness.
Of course, Russia's pointless declaration of NATO as an enemy for so long—complete with repeated nuclear threats—has given Russia a three-front war dilemma.
Or … does Russia feel it needs a strategic reserve to defeat a Ukrainian offensive? I wonder.
Bravo, Putin! Strategerksy.
NOTE: Photo from first article linked. T-64s and T-72s in storage at the 349th Central Tank Reserve Base in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. (Photo: open source)