On March 4, 2024, Sergey Chemezov, the chair of russia’s Rostec defense manufacturer, stated that russia’s most advanced main battle tank (MBT), the T-14 Armata, had entered service in the russian military but would not be deployed to Ukraine. Sergey Chemezov stated this was due to the high cost limiting manufacturing of the Armata MBT at scale, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
The Armata MBT made its debut on Victory Day in 2015, stalling during a rehearsal. The 1st Guards Tank Army was due to receive the T-14 Armata MBT in 2021, however, it is highly unlikely delivery to any front line unit has taken place. The next generation MBT had been spotted conducting training exercises in southern russia in December 2022, and it was stated by Kremlin news agencies that it would be used in Ukraine.
Read more: Rostec Officially Admits T-14 Armata is for Parades, Not Real War
To date, it is almost certain that the T-14 Armata MBT has not been deployed to Ukraine. 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 MBTs which can only be satisfied by other variants.
Read more: Russians Show Platoon of T-14 Armata Tanks That Still Hasn't Appeared on Actual Frontline
