War in Ukraine Volume 4

Heirs to the massive Soviet tank force that faced NATO during the Cold War, since 2014, the Russian and Ukrainian tank forces, two largest armored forces in Europe, are fighting on opposing sides of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the largest scale European conflict since the Second World War. The main battle tank (MBT) has been a critical part of land warfare. This book explores the primary MBTs used by each side of the conflict, from the latest Russian T-90M Proryv and Ukrainian BM Oplot, to the venerable Soviet T-64 that spawned them all. In particular, it takes a greater, in-depth look at some of the more neglected and misunderstood aspects of Soviet, Russian, and Ukrainian tanks and attempts to dispel some of the myths that have arisen since the Cold War. It also takes a look at the evolution in the training, doctrine, and usage of the Russian and Ukrainian tank forces as they have increasingly diverged in the aftermath of the outbreak of the war in 2014. Ukraine in particular, has made efforts to transform its military along the lines of NATO, while Russia has chosen to chart its own course. How has this affected the performance of both militaries, especially following the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022? The full history of the Russo-Ukrainian War remains to be written, but this book aims to at least give a background and a glimpse into one particular aspect of the war, as well as the role the MBT has played in the largest war of the 21st century so far.