Russia removed up to 40% of tank reserves from storage facilities - ISW

Open-source researchers analyzed satellite imagery and assessed that Russia has reportedly removed 25 to 40 percent of its tank strategic reserves, depending on the model, from open-air storage facilities.

That's according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Russia and Eurasia Program Senior Fellow Dara Massicot assessed that Russia likely removed its best equipment from strategic reserve and that Russia still retains "worse" or "unsalvageable" equipment in storage.

Massicot also assessed that Russia's "remaining inventory will dwindle in the next couple of years" if Russia continues its current tempo of operations.

ISW noted that it could not independently verify this report. However, ISW analysts said that reports of Russia's reported tank "production" numbers in recent years largely reflect restored and modernized tanks drawn from storage rather than new production.

"These assessments suggest that the Russian military has been largely leveraging vehicles from storage to sustain its war effort, rather than using new production to offset battlefield losses. Russia may face equipment shortages in the next several years if Russia's current loss rate remains the same or accelerates and Russia's current level of new vehicle production remains the same," the report said.