russian propagandists report that russian troops acquired 28 T-55 tanks, eight PT-76 tanks, six BMPs, and eight tractors of unspecified types from Mosfilm, which had stored them in its reserves. This transfer reportedly took place in 2023 and was directly coordinated with the Ministry of Defense of the russian federation, according to Mosfilm’s director, Shakhnazarov, in a statement to Kremlin leader vladimir putin.
This news is quite unusual, warranting closer examination, and we’ll begin by addressing an important aspect: generally, tanks at film studios are used as props with limited functionality.
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In Mosfilm's case, it’s well-known that T-55 tanks were used to simulate German tanks, such as the Pz.Kpfw. IV or Tiger from World War II, with the vehicles visually modified to resemble these historical models.
However, publicly available photos show the same T-55 tanks from Mosfilm's reserves in their original form, meaning the russian military received fully functional vehicles, potentially for use as parts donors or even operational units.
Public records indicate that by 2015, the russian army held up to 2,500 T-54/55 tanks in reserve. In 2017, the russian Ministry of Defense announced plans to scrap these vehicles as metal waste. Given this, it’s logical that the russians are now searching for T-55 tanks wherever possible, even reaching into reserves held by their main film studio.
That said, the supposed transfer of eight PT-76 tanks to the russian military is surprising, as these rare vehicles have not been observed in recent battlefields. To recall, the PT-76 is a light tank produced between 1951 and 1967, featuring bulletproof armor and a 76-mm gun. russian forces last used the PT-76 during the First Chechen War in 1996.
It is likely that these PT-76 tanks from Mosfilm are intended as spare parts donors for the BTR-50, which was developed using the PT-76 chassis.
Overall, this report of tank acquisitions from Mosfilm for the russian army can be seen as part of a broader trend in which russia appears to be invoking the Soviet-era slogan "Everything for the front, everything for victory" in its internal mobilization efforts.
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