Ukraine's captured Soviet-era T-62M tanks still surviving on the battlefield
Ukrainian forces are fielding more than 40 T-62M tanks captured from Russia, most seized during the 2022 counteroffensives, with none confirmed lost in combat since.
On today's battlefield, Ukrainian tank crews increasingly engage targets from several kilometers away rather than closing in for direct confrontation. Remarkably, a tank design rooted in the 1960s is managing to keep pace with this shift in tactics.
Ukraine has captured more than 40 T-62M tanks from Russian forces. The bulk of these trophies were seized during Ukraine's 2022 counteroffensive operations, when retreating Russian units abandoned significant amounts of armored equipment on the battlefield.
What stands out is that, since being captured, none of these T-62M tanks have suffered a confirmed combat loss. Despite their aging Soviet-era design, the vehicles have continued to operate at the front without being destroyed by enemy fire.
The case illustrates how Ukraine's military has turned to older, captured hardware to supplement its armored forces at a time when deliveries from allies and domestic production cannot fully meet frontline demand. The T-62M's continued survivability suggests that even decades-old tank designs can retain combat value when employed in line with modern tactics — striking from a distance rather than engaging in close combat.
