Moscow likely to deploy Armata battle tanks in Ukraine MAP

Russia is likely considering deploying a small number of its new T-14 Armata main battle tanks in Ukraine.

Caliber.Az reports on this, referring to the British Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine which has noted this development.

The latest intelligence report, published by the UK Defence Ministry on January 19, recalls that imagery from December 2022 showed T-14s on a training area in southern Russia, which has been associated with pre-deployment activity for the Ukraine operation.

"This followed pro-government Russia media outlets claiming T-14s were being prepared for deployment. However, it is unclear whether Russia has yet moved the type into Ukraine", the intelligence update stated.

According to the British defence agency, any T-14 deployment is likely to be a high-risk decision for Russia, pointing to the fact, that it had been in development for eleven years as the programme has been dogged with delays, reduction in planned fleet size, and reports of manufacturing problems.

The update states, that an additional challenge for Russia is adjusting its logistics chain to handle T-14 because it is larger and heavier than other Russian tanks.

British intelligence believes, that if Russia deploys T-14, it will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes as its production is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 19 January 2023

Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/HRZcI9ke7Y

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/VWcroX4ASx

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 19, 2023