The bears of Russian tanks were, for a long time, the image of a brutally strong force in the battles—universally, these myths of tanks made of iron and steel going wild through the European forests and Middle East mountains were typical stories you could come across in any pub. Nevertheless, in the latest wars, especially in Ukraine and Syria, these very vehicles— notably the T-72 with all its various modifications—have become a distinctly different character: they are visually the most wrecked postmodern tank series globally.
Conceived for Offense, Not Stamina
The T-72 was fundamentally designed based on Soviet concepts and ideas during the Cold War period. Unlike the majority of the West’s main battle tanks, the T-72 was not that versatile or flexible. It was the tank that was supposed to be in the first line of a breakthrough offensive operation, tearing apart enemy trenches and making a way for the rest of the troops.
To reduce the cost and increase the speed of production, the tank used an autoloader, which made it possible to have a smaller crew of three people, and the tank’s elegant design kept it at a low level on the battlefield. A retired T-72 commander once summarized it as: “versatile, fast, easy to use, and an inexpensive killing machine.” This philosophy was still alive in the later Russian tanks, which kept borrowing a lot from the basic design of the T-72. However, while getting periodic updates of armor and firepower, the fundamental design was never really changed in such a way as to be able to keep up with the new combat requirements.
Harsh Lessons in Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq
The past ten years have been harsh for the T-72 family. Ukraine alone has lost close to 2,000 T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s in more than a year of combat, frequently against Ukrainian troops running older T-64s supported by Western anti-tank missiles. Images and footage of Russian tanks charred beyond recognition have become so ubiquitous that they’re all but a dark standard of the conflict.
Syria shares the same tale. The Syrian Arab Army lost nearly 1,000 T-72s in under a decade, and most of them were destroyed by barely armed insurgents. American, Iraqi, and Saudi Abrams tanks in similar situations suffered greatly fewer losses throughout an extended timespan. Even Russian accounts concur on the magnitude of these defeats.
A Design That Punishes Its Crews
One of the largest design failures in Russian tanks is the storage of ammunition. In the T-72 and its variants, the shells are stored in a carousel loader under the turret, directly beneath the crew. If an opposing round penetrates the armor, the ammunition will explode on the spot, frequently sending the turret flying into the air in a now-notorious “jack-in-the-box” movement.
Western tanks, such as the Abrams or Leopard, in contrast, keep their ammunition within armor compartments with blow-out panels, so if the ammo cooks off, the explosion vents away from the crew. That detail has saved thousands of Western tankers—and killed many Russian crews.
Training, Leadership, and the Human Element
Hardware is only half the battle. The skill and discipline of the crew can make or break a tank’s effectiveness. In Iraq, poorly trained crews in T-72s were no match for Western forces. In Ukraine and Syria, similar issues have surfaced: inexperienced crews, poor coordination, and panic under fire.
One of the most popular viral clips came from Ukraine and depicted a highly skilled Bradley Fighting Vehicle crew taking out Russia’s best-of-the-line T-90M with a round into the weakly armored rear. The Russian crew didn’t even fight hard, leaving their tank to be finished off by a drone. Military analysts maintain that a lot of Russia’s most skilled tank crews were lost in early fighting, replaced by inexperienced troops inadequately trained for high-intensity battles.
Western Armor Compared
Western tanks such as the Leopard and Abrams typically weigh more, are more expensive, and have much better optics, armor, and survivability. Even the Bradley—technically an infantry fighting vehicle, not a tank—is a repeat destroyer of Russian armor when operated by experienced crews with modern ammunition and fire control systems.
The Bigger Lesson
The limitation of Russian tank armies is not only due to their outdated designs. It’s about the combination of intrinsic vulnerabilities, inadequately trained crews, and a modern battlefield that is full of drones, guided missiles, and precision munitions.
The T-72 was designed for a type of warfare that does not now exist. In modern conflict, numbers are not enough to secure victory. Survivability, flexibility, and the ability of the crew count much more, and the experience of Russian armor in Syria and Ukraine confirms it.
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