Russia Mobilizes 'T-55' Tanks from Museums to Frontlines... "Likely to Use as Fixed Artillery"

Mobilizing Soviet T-55 Tanks Released in 1948
Mostly Displayed in Museums in Other Countries

Russia, struggling to secure major military supplies due to prolonged Western sanctions, is reportedly deploying 1948-model T-55 tanks?more commonly seen in museums?on the Ukrainian front, drawing significant attention. Experts analyze that although the T-55 tanks have been stored for a long time and are severely outdated, the Russian military is likely to use them as fixed artillery positions for frontline defense.

The T-55 tank developed in 1948 in the former Soviet Union. [Image source=U.S. Army website]

On the 8th (local time), CNN reported that the Russian military is pulling out T-55 tanks, produced in the former Soviet Union in 1948, from warehouses of various regional units and urgently dispatching them by train to the Ukrainian front. According to CNN, a video believed to have been filmed somewhere in Russia last March shows old Soviet tanks being loaded onto trains for transport, including T-55 tanks.

John Delaney, senior curator at the Imperial War Museum in Cambridge, UK, told CNN in an interview, "The T-55 tank was the Soviet Union’s first main battle tank used during the Cold War era." He added, "While these tanks can be used on the front lines, they have been stored in warehouses for decades, so significant refurbishment would be required before sending them back to the front."

The T-55 tank, launched in 1948, is historically famous as the main battle tank of the former Soviet Union. It was used to suppress democratization movements such as the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the so-called "Prague Spring" in the Czechoslovakian capital in 1968, symbolizing Soviet repression. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the complete defeat of Iraqi-operated T-55 tanks by Western multinational forces during the 1991 Gulf War, the tank gradually faded into history.

Nevertheless, its low cost, inexpensive maintenance, and ease of operation have been cited as advantages, leading to its use as a main battle tank in various communist and Third World countries, including Egypt, China, and Sudan, with some nations still operating it actively. Given Russia’s shortage of tanks and lack of personnel to operate modern tanks equipped with advanced electronic systems, it is analyzed that the Russian military would prefer the easy-to-operate older tanks.

Delaney explained, "Facing a large-scale Ukrainian offensive, the Russian military must confront the Ukrainian forces with poorly equipped weapons and less-trained recruits. Even though these are old tanks, if they are dug into trenches and used as fixed artillery positions for frontline defense, they could serve as surprisingly effective defensive weapons."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.