Russia's invasion of Ukraine has faced additional setbacks in the past few weeks following successful counteroffensive moves from Kyiv and mounting criticism from the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Moscow's annual Victory Day parade became unexpectedly emblematic of this seemingly withering military prowess when only a single tank, thought to have been produced during World War 2, was displayed in the Red Square.
Among the mockery aimed at Russia was a claim shared online that the lone vehicle was, in fact, manufactured in Ukraine.
The Claim
A tweet by Ukrainian news site New Voice Ukraine, posted on May 9, 2023, viewed 622,000 times, stated: "The single Russian tank at today's May 9 Victory Day parade isn't even Russian, it turns out.
"The tank, a museum-piece T-34, named 'Prіde,' drove by the dignitaries at the parade alone.
"But 'Pride' was actually built not in Russia, but in Kharkiv, Ukraine."
The Facts
While there is some truth to the tweet about the tank, it doesn't tell the full story.
The T-34 was developed in 1939-1940 in Kharkiv, then part of the Moscow-controlled Soviet Republic of Ukraine at Plant Number 183. Production was later moved to the Russian cities of Omsk, Nizhny Tagil, and Nizhny Novgorod due to (later confirmed) fears of German invasion.
To find out more, Newsweek spoke to Steven Zaloga, a senior analyst at aerospace and defense research firm Teal Group Corporation, and an expert on Russian tank technology who has written multiple published texts on the T-34's history.
According to Zaloga, the turret on the tank in the Victory Day parade indicated that it was likelier built in Nizhny Tagil, where a redesign called the T-34-85 was built.
Part of the design team later returned to Kharkiv in 1944-45 when the city was recaptured by the Red Army, Zaloga said, but at that time it was not producing the type of tank seen in the Victory Day parade, which Zaloga identified as the T-34-85.
"So the T-34-85, which is the type of tank that was shown in Moscow at the Victory [Day] parade that was not produced in in Kharkiv," said Zaloga.
"It's most likely [from] Nizhny Tagil; there were three plants building the T-34-85 in 1944 45 when that particular type was built: Nizhny Tagil, Omsk, and Gorky, now Nizhny Novgorod," Zaloga added. "The turret on that one [in the Victory Day parade] looks like it's a Nizhny Tagil turret; they have different casting styles."
Zaloga noted there was some speculation that the T-34-85 displayed on Victory Day may have been made in Czechoslovakia, but argued the turret style didn't match the designs manufactured there.
Although it also has similarities to models produced in Poland too, Zaloga said, it was most likely from Nizhny Tagil.
"It looked like it had some of the Russian features on it but I wasn't able to find on the net any real good close-ups," he added.
"I was especially looking for close-ups of the left side of the turret where that's kind of distinctive. I didn't see any but the chances are it was Nizhny Tagil."
Nizhny Tagil still produces Russian tanks, including the T-72, T-90, and T-14 Armata, which have been used in the Ukraine conflict.
The following video, produced by the Tank Museum in Dorset, U.K., shows the evolution of the T-34 close up. As is seen later in the video (23:22 onward), the design was developed to include fuel cylinders and metal bars, the latter of which could be used to effectively turn the tank into a motorized infantry vehicle (details which can be seen on the tank used during Victory Day).
According to Zaloga, while Russia does possess other T-34s, most of them are no longer fit for use.
"You go to just about any Russian city, and they'll have a war memorial and the war memorial is typically a T-34-85," Zaloga added.
"I've seen them in just about every Russian city I've visited but of course they're not functional.
"They've been sitting out on pedestals you know, since 1945 or 1950 and so they're all rusted out."
So, although a previous design of the tank used in the Victory Day parade was originally produced in what is now Ukraine (which at the time was a Soviet Republic) the model shown in the Red Square was not.
Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin via email for comment.
The Ruling
Needs Context.
The tank on display is a type of T-34 tank, early designs of which were manufactured in Kharkiv, Ukraine, during World War 2 while it was part of the USSR.
However, according to an expert on Russian tank technology, the one used during the Victory Day parade is thought to have been made in the Russian city of Nizhny Tagil.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
