Western Think Tanks: Russia is running out of Tanks
Reality strikes.
It should not have taken this long for the West, with its considerable talent, to recognize this reality. The cracks have been visible for a long time: the Russian army is quickly running out of tanks and armored vehicles. Many people overestimated Russia’s capabilities, but evidence from the ground kept indicating otherwise.
The Russian armed forces have been behaving like the mobs in Mad Max, using golf carts and motorcycles. It made no sense. Why would anyone send their troops without protective cover if they had it? The conclusion I reached as early as March is that the Russian army does not have enough tanks:
What we do know is that Russia does not have a lot of usable tanks in storage. Maybe 3,000, probably less.
If the Russians had enough tanks, they would be rolling ahead of the infantry. Not hidden in the rear.
Michael Gjerstad, a research analyst for defense and military analysis at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), says Russia has around 3,200 tanks in stock, and a vast majority of them are not in great condition.
Not just the IISS, but also the European Council on Foreign Relations, another think tank, has come to the same conclusion.
