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Russia Has Lost Over 4,000 Tanks in Ukraine, Oryx Confirms With Visual Evidence

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Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko
Dariia Mykhailenko
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Russia Has Lost Over 4,000 Tanks in Ukraine, Oryx Confirms With Visual Evidence
The Z letter, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, is seen on the captured Russian main battle tank to be refurbished at the brigade's workshop in Kharkiv region, Ukraine on February 20, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)

Russia has lost more than 4,000 tanks in its war against Ukraine, according to data compiled by independent military analysis group Oryx. The figure includes tanks that were destroyed, abandoned, or captured, and is based solely on photo and video documentation.

Oryx has tracked visually confirmed losses of Russian military equipment since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The group emphasizes that its count only reflects cases supported by verified imagery, meaning the actual number of Russian tank losses is likely significantly higher.

Many Russian tanks listed as “abandoned” were likely later destroyed or captured by Ukrainian forces, according to military analysts from Oryx. If a tank is captured and subsequently destroyed, it is recorded only as a loss for the original operator to avoid duplication in the data. Equipment with unverified origin is excluded from the count.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Oryx has documented the visually confirmed loss of 21,550 pieces of Russian military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, and aircraft.

Additional data from Militarnyi indicates that between 2014 and 2021, prior to the full-scale war, Russian occupation forces lost at least 50 tanks in combat, including T-72B3 models, Russia’s modernized main battle tanks that were first used against Ukraine in 2014.

Russian losses in Ukraine as of May 1, 2025. (Source: Oryx)
Russian losses in Ukraine as of May 1, 2025. (Source: Oryx)

Earlier, Ukrainian forces had reportedly destroyed Russia’s latest heavy flamethrower system, the TOS-2 “Tosochka,” near Pokrovsk. Images taken by Russian troops show the system’s launcher destroyed following a strike by an unidentified weapon. Prior to its elimination, the TOS-2 had been used in attacks against Ukrainian defensive positions.

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