Mosfilmthe largest film studio in Russia and with 100 years of history behind it, it has donated a part of its ‘props’, the term that in cinematographic language defines the props or objects used by actors on stage, consisting of weapons such as tanks T-55 and PT-76to the Russian Army for use in the invasion of Ukraine.
‘In 2023 we deliver 28 tanks T-558 PT-76 tanks, 6 infantry fighting vehicles and 8 trucks that we had the Armed Forces in our military department. I knew they needed them, so I contacted the Ministry of Defense, and they took these vehicles,’ explained the general director of Mosfilm, Karen Shakhnazarovto Vladimir Putin during a meeting in the Kremlin this Wednesday, reported on the website of the President of Russia.
The tanks and armored vehicles were part of a collection of almost 200 units that Mosfilm had in its inventory, according to the studio on its website.
So far, Russia has lost at least 3,549 tanksaccording to the open sources monitoring group Oryx. This figure includes 2,484 destroyed, 158 damaged, 374 abandoned and 533 captured. The actual total is higher, as Oryx only records losses with visual confirmation.
The amount delivered by Mosfilm represents just over 1% of Russia’s tank losses in his war with Ukraine. Furthermore, they are very old models. The first prototype of the T-55 appeared in [1945while PT-76 amphibious tanks have been in service since 1952.
He T-55 is an MBT or Main Battle Tank developed by the Soviet Union as an improvement of the T-54. With a main cannon of 100mmimproved armor and a compact design, it was designed to be maneuverable and efficient on the battlefield and widely used in conflicts during the Cold War.
He PT-76 It is a Soviet light amphibious tank designed for reconnaissance and support missions in water terrain. With amphibious capacity and armed with a cannon 76mmwas also widely used in conflicts during the Cold War. The Soviet Union produced around 80,000 T-54/T-55 and 12,000 PT-76 tanks.
T-55 tanks have been seen before in the invasion of Ukraine. Although They are not suitable for direct confrontations with more modern MBTsits 100mm main gun can be effective against lighter enemy vehicles, fortified points, and exposed enemy troops. They have also been used as vehicle bombs loaded with explosives. Likewise, the PT-76s were already detected in combat in Ukraine in 2022, despite their weak armor and underpowered cannon.
Another option is for Mosfilm tanks to be used as spare parts or even as decoys. Russia has already used inflatable tanks to confuse Ukrainian forces and cause them to waste ammunition.