Russia withholds ‘prestige’ Armata MBTs in Ukraine due to concerns over reputational risk — UK intel
Russia refused to send Armata tanks to the frontline in Ukraine because of fears of reputational damage from their losses, as well as because of their insufficient number, the British Defense Ministry said in its intelligence report published on March 5.
The newest T-14 Armata tank has entered service with the Russian army, but will not be sent to Ukraine, the head of the Russian defense corporation Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, announced on March 4.
This is due to the high cost, which limits the large-scale production of Armata tanks, he said.
The intelligence officers noted that the Armata tank made its debut on Victory Day in 2015 and stalled during a rehearsal. The 1st Guards Tank Army was supposed to receive the tanks in 2021, but it is unlikely that any units have been delivered, the report reads.
The Armata tank was spotted during drills in southern Russia in December 2022. At the time, Kremlin news agencies claimed it would be used in Ukraine.
According to British intelligence, the T-14 Armata tank has not been deployed to Ukraine so far.
"This is highly likely due to the potential reputational damage of losing the 'prestige' vehicle in combat and the requirement to produce greater quantities of main battle tanks, which can only be satisfied by other variants," the UK intelligence said.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said in September 2023 that the myth of "invincible" Russian T-14 tanks based on the Armata universal tracked platform still exists in Russia only because they have not yet participated in any battle.
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