Key Points and Summary: On a battlefield dominated by drones, Ukraine is proving that even ancient tanks can remain highly effective through battlefield innovation.
-By integrating half-century-old, upgraded Soviet-era tanks like the T-64BV with modern FPV and reconnaissance drones, Ukrainian forces are creating a potent combination of old steel and new technology.
-The tanks’ role has shifted to defense, where they are supported by Ukraine’s dedicated Unmanned Systems Forces, which provide the crucial targeting and strike capabilities.
-This synergy allows Ukraine to maximize the effectiveness of its limited hardware in a modern, high-tech war.
Ukraine Is Using Tanks and Drones In New Ways to Fight Russia
While drone warfare has gradually become a dominant tactic employed by both Ukrainian and Russian forces in recent years, tanks still play a role in Ukraine’s defense.
Though notably diminished, the role of tanks and armored vehicles in Ukraine is now focused largely on defense and interoperability with first-person-view (FPV) and kamikaze drone systems.
And in many instances, Ukraine is utilizing aging tank technology thanks to a burgeoning domestic drone manufacturing industry that is making old hardware useful again.
In 2024, internal Ukrainian estimates revealed that drones accounted for 69% of strikes on Russian troops and 75% on vehicles and equipment, compared to just 18% by artillery – and even less by mortars.
Drones are used for more than just strikes, too – providing reconnaissance support, and assisting with precision targeting. As noted by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have increasingly depended on drones for reconnaissance, target acquisition, and precision strikes that often occur “beyond the effective range of conventional direct-fire weapons.”
The Tank Isn’t Totally Obsolete Just Yet in Ukraine War
As Ukraine perfects its drone strategy, tanks still play a role – and in many cases, brigades are using adapted and upgraded versions of Soviet hardware. One example is the T-64BV – a variant first delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2019. The upgraded tank builds on the original 1960s design, adding thermal imaging technology, reactive armor modules that can be replaced, and satellite navigation.
As noted in Trench Art, T-64BV tanks were used by Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade – a unit of the Ukrainian military known for fighting some of the toughest battles in Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, and also during the conflict in 2014.
“So it should come as no surprise that, when potentially thousands of Russian infantry from the 51st Combined Arms Army marched right past empty Ukrainian trenches northeast of the fortress city of Pokrovsk around two weeks ago, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade was one of the roughly 10 Ukrainian brigades that responded,” the outlet explains, adding that the brigade used “up-armored T-64BV tanks and gun-armed ground robots” to clear Russians from the village of Vesele.
Though the T-64BV boasts substantial upgrades over the original T-64, it continues to be a useful tool in Ukraine’s arsenal – thanks largely to drone support and expertise from the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) – a dedicated branch of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that specializes in drone warfare.
The formation of the branch coincided with reports in 2024 that Ukraine was “scouring the planet” for hundreds of spare tanks and other fighting vehicles, including other vintage models like the M-80 and M-84 – Yugoslavian variants of the Soviet BMP-1 and T-72, respectively.
While a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia might finally be on the cards, the war has demonstrated that battlefield innovation can render even outdated tanks, sometimes more than half a century old, relevant again.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
Military Matters
The F-22 Raptor Just Keeps Getting Better
