Russian state-owned company UralVagonZavod (UVZ) has delivered another batch of T-90M main battle tanks and BREM-1M armoured recovery vehicles (ARV) to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. The deliveries also raise a question over the status of UVZ, which has been reported to have ceased production several times since the war began. The deliveries do not necessarily prove that the company has run out of parts, or that it can manufacture vehicles indefinitely, as it may have procured sufficient parts for extensive T-90M production prior to the war. These first three deliveries totalled 26 tanks.
This is the second T-90M delivery announcement this year, the first announced in May. The initial batch, in April 2020, reportedly entered service with the 2nd Guards Taman motorised rifle division of the 1st Guards Tank Army, and was followed by a second batch that November. Additional deliveries were announced in March 2021 when eight tanks were delivered to the 27th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade of the same army. According to Ukrainian intelligence sources a slower manufacture of T-90s are occurring because of the effect of International sanctions since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank. The T-90 was designed and built by Uralvagonzavod, in Nizhny Tagil, Russia. It entered service with the Russian Army in 1992. The T-90M ‘Proryv’ has received a principally new turret, the 2A46M-5 gun, and a new 1130 hp V-92S2F engine. The main features include the modernisation of the old turret design, which is equipped with the new advanced fire control system “Kalina”, improved armor on the ammo carousel, and a new upgraded gun 2A46M-5, as well as a remote-controlled anti-aircraft gun “UDP T05BV-1”. The new version also includes the Relikt ERA bricks instead of the Kontakt-5 ERA bricks.
BREM-1M is an armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) developed by JSC research and production corporation ‘UralVagonZavod’ and is primarily operated by the Russian Army. The vehicle is mainly used to recover damaged tanks and armoured vehicles from the battlefield. It tows damaged vehicles to the nearest shelter, fabrication point, maintenance centre or repair depot. It also supports the crew to conduct on-field repair and maintenance of armoured vehicles. The BREM-1M ARV is based on the T-90 hull and uses the same 1,000hp engine to generate a top speed of 60 km/h. It can tow a 52t vehicle. Furthermore, the crane the BREM-1M carries is capable of lifting 20t tonnes, enabling it to support repair of battle-damaged vehicles.
