Putin's New T-14 Armata Tanks Debut in Ukraine

Moscow has deployed its advanced T-14 Armata tanks in Ukraine, Russian state media reported Tuesday.

RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-backed news agency, reported the use of what's considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin's most advanced tank for defensive positions in Ukraine. The outlet did not specify where those positions were but noted that Armatas "had not participated in direct assaults."

Putin first showed the T-14 to the public during Moscow's 2015 Victory Day parade. The tank is considered superior to the T-90, which has been called a competitor to the U.S. Army's M1 Abrams and has already seen action in Ukraine.

The arrival of the T-14 comes as military analysts describe Putin's forces in Russia as struggling and shifting to defensive strategies after failed offensive operations. An assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released on Sunday described Russian troops in Ukraine as too "disorganized" and "exhausted" to maintain crucial front line positions and said "significant reserves" would likely be needed in order to effectively achieve any future offensive operations in the war, which began February 24, 2022.

According to RIA Novosti, Armatas are equipped with unmanned turrets that are controlled remotely as well as layered armor, explosive reactive armor blocks and sensor-activated defense systems. The latter component will reportedly send automatic launch charges to down incoming missiles.

Armatas reportedly have a maximum speed of about 50 mph, and RIA Novosti reported that Russian tank crews have undergone "combat coordination" at training grounds in Ukraine.

When T-14s were first introduced by developers UralVagonZavod, they were hailed as being "invisible" due to stealth equipment that makes them hard to detect on radar and other target finders.

However, experts at Jane's Defence Weekly in 2015 pushed back against the invisibility claims, noting that modern thermal technology is sensitive enough to detect any tank when it is moved or a weapon is fired.

In January, the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MOD) wrote in an intelligence update that Russia was "likely considering deploying a small number of its new T-14 Armata main battle tanks in Ukraine."

However, the MOD cast doubt on the Armatas seeing combat action.

"Any T-14 deployment is likely to be a high-risk decision for Russia. Eleven years in development, the program has been dogged with delays, reduction in planned fleet size, and reports of manufacturing problems," the ministry wrote.

"If Russia deploys T-14, it will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes. Production is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat."

Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), told Newsweek that he agrees with the MOD assessment.

"British intel says the Russian tank commanders are unlikely to trust the Armata in combat. If it breaks down, replacement parts will be quite difficult to impossible to obtain on the front lines of Ukraine," McCardle said.

"They are more sophisticated and capable than older Russian tanks, but I don't see them as 'game changers' for the Russians in Ukraine. Their main value will likely be for propaganda purposes."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.