Prior to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia was believed to have one of the largest and most effective tank armies in the world. Consisting of modernised T-72s, T-80s and the latest T-90s operating in combined arms groups, Russian forces were expected to decimate all that came before them. However, exactly the opposite happened, and Western observers have been surprised at just how poorly the Russian military has performed. In contrast, alongside utilising vehicles produced by its own national tank manufacturers, the Ukrainian military has expertly repaired and repurposed Russian military equipment abandoned on the battlefield to its advantage. Supplementing its own weaponry, are battle tanks and armour supplied by Western allies, initially mostly former Warsaw Pact countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, which have formed the formidable, albeit eclectic, inventory now possessed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Illustrated with striking images, this book defines the tanks, self-propelled artillery and armoured vehicles currently (or on their way to being) in use in Ukraine, and examines how Russian forces have faced such increasing losses. AUTHOR: After 23 years of service in the Parachute Regiment, Craig Allen returned to civilian life in 2001 and began a career as a freelance photographer. Once in never out, however, and he continued to serve with 4 Para, the Reserve Battalion. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 he returned to the regular regiment as a media escort and photographer for the campaign in Iraq with the job of escorting the embedded BBC crew and print journalist. The role gave him the freedom to move around the battlefield and cover the Paras on operations.
