Russia has lost about 3,000 tanks in the conflict in Ukraine but has enough lower-quality replacements that will suffice for many years.

Russia is producing enough new tanks and armored vehicles as well as having enough old ones in storage to make up for losses in Ukraine for at least the next 2 to 3 years.

This is the conclusion of a report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS, UK) on February 12. The report states that Russia has lost over 3,000 tanks in Ukraine, but “despite losing hundreds of armored vehicles and artillery pieces on average each month, Russia can maintain a stable number of reserve weapons.”

In particular, Russia is “compensating for quality with quantity” by being able to deploy up to 90 old tanks per month to the battlefield in place of destroyed tanks.

Russia’s tank depot could help offset heavy weapon losses for about 3 more years, albeit with lower technical standards. These weapons are unrelated to Russia’s production capacity for new equipment.

According to the report, Russia has 1,750 main battle tanks ready for combat, including older models like the T-55 to modern ones like the T-80, T-90. Moscow has an additional 4,000 in storage.

With that quantity of weapons and replacement capacity, IISS assesses that the deadlock on the battlefield could be maintained throughout 2024. Russia has not immediately commented on these reports.

According to the report, Ukraine has also suffered heavy losses since the conflict began in February 2022, but Western-supplied weapons have allowed the country to maintain a reserve while upgrading quality.

Business Insider recently quoted a Ukrainian soldier on the frontline as saying that Russian tanks are “perhaps the scariest thing.”

A soldier named Dmytro said, “We can hear planes when they fly over, but we don’t hear the sound of their tanks firing. When encountering tanks, only God can help you.”

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military is struggling with a shortage of weapons and ammunition, especially as crucial aid from the US has not yet been approved by their parliament. Many Leopard 2 tanks in Ukraine cannot operate due to a lack of spare parts for repairs, addressing damage in combat, or malfunctions during operation.

During a press briefing on February 14 at the White House, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that Ukrainian soldiers are running out of ammunition, and the US Congress needs to pass a relief budget. “We can’t wait any longer. Each passing day comes with a cost for the people of Ukraine and for the national security interests of the United States. We are receiving reports of Ukrainian soldiers being cut short of weapons, even those on the front lines running out of ammunition while Russian forces continue ground offensives and are trying to weaken Ukrainian air defenses.”

After months of negotiations, the US Senate, controlled by the Democratic Party, passed a foreign aid bill, including $60 billion for Ukraine. However, the bill has not yet been passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.