Kathrine Frich
Russia’s military partnership with India has endured for decades, spanning weapons sales, technology transfers and joint production lines.
New Delhi has long relied on Russian systems to modernise its forces, while Moscow has viewed India as a dependable strategic market and an important political counterweight on the global stage.
Their close partnership recently led Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India.
During the visit, he gave an interview to India Today in which he praised the T-90 tank as a symbol of cooperation and battlefield strength.
Close defence ties
In the interview, Putin highlighted New Delhi’s licensed assembly of the T-90, telling the broadcaster:
“India produces our famous T-90 tanks. Believe me, these tanks are considered among the best in the world.” He said the platform remains widely used in Russia’s own forces and continues to be exported abroad.
But figures gathered from the war in Ukraine present a stark contrast to those claims.
According to Oryx, the open-source intelligence group that documents visually confirmed equipment losses, Russia has lost at least 203 T-90s since the invasion began.
The tally includes 11 T-90S units originally intended for export and 146 examples of the modernised T-90M Proryv variant.
Losses on the battlefield
Oryx notes that the real number is probably higher, as its methodology counts only tanks verified through images or video.
The group’s data has been widely used by defence analysts to track attrition trends throughout the conflict.
Putin also underscored Moscow’s long tradition of sharing sensitive technologies with India.
The T-90S assembled there draws on Russian components combined with Indian-made parts.
Defence Blog reports that India operates more than 1,100 T-90s, making it the largest user of the model outside Russia, and several hundred additional units remain on order.
Vulnerabilities exposed
The T-90M, the newest generation in the family, features upgraded Relikt reactive armour, a 125 mm 2A46M-5 gun and the Kalina fire-control system.
Its 1,000-horsepower engine allows speeds of roughly 65 km/h.
Yet analysts say the design still incorporates elements inherited from older Soviet-era platforms, including the T-72, leaving its electronics fragile and its communications systems unreliable.
Western anti-tank weapons such as Javelin missiles and FPV drones have also proven highly effective, contributing to the mounting losses documented in Ukraine.
Sources: India Today, Oryx, Defence Blog, WP.
