Summary: The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has seen significant losses of armored vehicles on both sides, challenging the notion of "miracle weapons" in modern warfare. Despite receiving advanced main battle tanks (MBTs) such as the M1 Abrams, Challenger 2, and Leopard 2 from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany respectively, Ukrainian forces have experienced notable losses, including two Abrams and multiple Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 tanks. On the other hand, Russia has also suffered heavy losses, with reports suggesting the destruction or capture of a substantial number of Russian tanks, including potentially hundreds in a single week. Despite these setbacks, both nations continue to produce and deploy tanks, with Russia reportedly capable of generating at least 100 MBTs a month, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. Amidst these developments, Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded the T-90 tank as the world's best, emphasizing the need for continued advancement in military technology. The potential confrontation between the T-90 and the M1 Abrams looms as a significant test of these claims, with the outcomes of such engagements yet to be seen.

Ukraine Continues to be Graveyard of Tanks – Will The T-90 Face the M1 Abrams?

On Sunday, reports circulated that a second M1 Abrams to Ukraine had been destroyed in the ongoing fighting. The loss of the U.S.-supplied main battle tank (MBT) comes just a week after the first Abrams was destroyed outside the city of Avdiivka, which fell to Kremlin forces after weeks of heavy fighting.

The United States agreed to supply Kyiv with a total of 31 of the MBTs early last year, and Ukrainian forces spent several months being trained on the Abrams. Ukraine was also provided around a dozen British Challenger 2 and more than 100 German Leopard 2 MBTs. The tanks were initially seen by some as "miracle weapons" that would sway the war in Kyiv's favor, but that certainly hasn't been the case. Ukraine has lost at least two of the Challenger 2s, while it has seen several Leopard 2s also destroyed with more than a dozen disabled and recovered.

Russia has lost an even greater number of tanks since it launched its unprovoked invasion more than two years ago. There were reports on Sunday that in just the past week the Kremlin may have lost nearly 7,000 tanks as many as 98 tanks, along with more than 200 artillery systems.

Kyiv claims that a total of 416,800 Russian troops have been killed or wounded and that 6,640 have been destroyed or captured. The figures haven't been independently verified, and while it is likely the numbers have been inflated, the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank told Newsweek that the losses cited by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense are plausible.  It was last month that Reuters reported that Russia has more than 3,000 tanks, the equivalent of its entire pre-war active inventory.

Ukraine has truly become a graveyard of armor, but Russia has managed to produce upwards of 100 tanks a month – and is thus able to sustain its forces on the battlefield, the UK Ministry of Defence also announced in an intelligence briefing last month. 

"Russia can probably generate at least 100 MBTs a month and therefore retains the capacity to replace battlefield losses and continue this level of offensive activity for the foreseeable future," the ministry said.

Putin Praised the Russian Tanks

Despite the losses it has suffered, last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin poured on significant praise for the T-90 Proryv main battle tank (MBT) during a trip to Uralvagonzavod producer, while he also called for more advanced fighting vehicles.

"T-90 is the best tank in the world without any exaggeration. Our tankmen and the adversary recognize it as the best in the world," Putin added while acknowledging that any military hardware can get outdated with time. "We have to think about new generations of hardware. The designers know what to make and are working already."

However, the T-90 has yet to actually go head-to-head against the M1 Abrams – with the latter losses the result of artillery strikes and drones. All eyes are likely on such a match-up, and it is likely only a matter of time before Western armor takes on the best Russia has to offer.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].