Breakthrough of the classic wars of the 20th century: why is Russia stockpiling tanks, - People's Deputy

Yegor Chernev, deputy chairman of the Council's committee on national security, told about this on the air of Yedynykh Noviny. According to the deputy chairman, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation may be planning a large-scale joint military operation based on the patterns of the wars of the last century with classic breakthroughs by tanks and armored vehicles. For this, Moscow is increasing the production of weapons and creating the necessary reserves.

"The Russian military-industrial complex is currently working at full capacity. And it is working more for warehouses. That is, the armored vehicles and tanks that are currently being produced are going to warehouses," Chernev said. He noted that European partners do not have the experience of drone warfare, which was acquired by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This can create conditions for Russian tank strikes.

"European countries and NATO countries do not have the experience of waging war with drones, so a conditional breakthrough with armored vehicles or tanks is possible there, as happened in the classic wars of the 20th century," the deputy emphasized. Analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) voiced a similar opinion regarding the probable aggression of the Russian Federation against European countries.

According to reports, Russia is likely preparing for a prolonged military confrontation with NATO by actively stockpiling weapons and military equipment. And Moscow's plans are indicated by the sources of documents of "Uralvagonzavod" — the main manufacturer of Russian tanks. According to published data, the company intends to significantly increase the production of armored vehicles from 2027.

In particular, we are talking about 1,118 new and modernized T-90M and T-90M2 tanks, which are planned to be produced in the period from 2027 to 2029. The largest volumes of production are planned for 2028 — 428 tanks per year. For comparison, currently, according to ISW estimates, "Uralvagonzavod" produces from 3 to 15 tanks per month.

Analysts note that the implementation of such scales is possible only if two key problems are solved: the lack of qualified specialists and the circumvention of Western sanctions for the purchase of high-precision machines. "The planned increase in production indicates that Russia is planning for military contingencies beyond the current war in Ukraine — against the backdrop of its ongoing 'phase zero' operations against Europe.