Ukraine has lost too many tanks in the Kursk region – Forbes

During the Kursk operation, Ukrainian forces lost 55 tanks, while the Russian army lost 66, resulting in a 1.2:1 ratio in favor of Ukraine. However, since February 24, 2022, the overall loss ratio has been 1:3.4 in Ukraine’s favor.

This information reported according to Forbes.

“This is bad news for Ukraine,” the publication states, citing an analysis that suggests Ukraine must inflict three times as many losses on Russia as it suffers to weaken Russian forces faster than Ukraine itself is weakened.

The article notes that Ukraine reached this critical loss ratio before its August incursion into Kursk, in western Russia. However, during that operation— which ended with a Ukrainian retreat last week— Russian forces destroyed or captured more tanks than Ukraine could afford to lose.

At the start of the conflict in February 2022, Ukraine had around 1,000 tanks, primarily Soviet-era T-64s and T-72s. Over time, Ukraine lost approximately 950 tanks to Russian actions but has since received around 850 from allied donations and has reactivated others from long-term storage. Forbes estimates that Ukraine still operates at least 1,000 tanks today.

Meanwhile, Russia entered the war with about 3,500 tanks, including T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s. It has lost 3,200 tanksdue to Ukrainian attacks. While Russian industry produces 500–600 new tanks per year, this is insufficient to fully replace its losses. However, the Kremlin still has access to thousands of stored tanks, including older T-62s and T-54sfrom the 1950s and 1960s.

“By destroying roughly as many tanks as they lost in the Kursk region, Russian forces denied Kyiv a much-needed victory,” writes Forbes. According to the Ukrainian analytical group Frontelligence Insight, a 1:1 loss ratio is a disadvantageous scenario for Ukraine in a war of attrition due to its smaller initial reserves and limited ability to replace lost equipment.