Due to shortage of equipment, Russian Federation is returning obsolete T-62 tanks to service - DIU
Russia is forced to return obsolete T-62 tanks to service due to a lack of modern equipment.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press center of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
As noted, as a result of large-scale irrecoverable losses of weapons and military equipment during the war against Ukraine, the Russian Federation is resorting to massive mothballing of obsolete combat vehicles. Against the backdrop of depleting reserves of 1970s-era equipment, the Russian Armed Forces Command has begun to actively return to service even older models, including T-62 tanks.
"These vehicles are being restored mainly on the basis of the 103rd Armored Repair Plant located in the village of Atamanovka, Trans-Baikal Territory. The supply of T-62 tanks to the combat zone is carried out mainly from the warehouses of the Eastern Military District," the statement said.
According to the DIU, on June 27, 2025, 21 units of T-62 tanks were transferred from the Eastern Military District to the European part of the Russian Federation.
"The technical condition of most of these vehicles is unsatisfactory: the tanks have been stored in the open for decades without maintenance. However, due to the acute shortage of modern main battle tanks, such as T-90M and T-72B3M, the use of T-62 is seen as a temporary but forced solution," the DIU emphasizes.
The key factors limiting the ability to produce modern armored vehicles in Russia are the lack of industrial capacity and the shortage of imported high-tech components.
In practice, T-62s are used not only as active combat units, but also as stationary firing points to strengthen defensive positions.
