Russia is replacing its destroyed tanks at a rate of 100 a month, UK intel says

BI: Russia can make 100 tanks a month, allowing it to keep its offensive effort at the same level despite suffering major losses, UK intelligence said.

The UK Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update on Monday that Russia's ground forces had lost up to 365 main battle tanks since early October — meaning a loss of a bit more than 100 tanks a month.

But it can replace them at a similar rate, it added.

"Russia can probably generate at least 100 MBTs a month and therefore retains the capacity to replace battlefield losses and continue this level of offensive activity for the foreseeable future," the ministry said.

The ministry added that Russia, in addition to tanks, had lost up to 700 armored vehicles since October. In that time, it has "only achieved minor territorial gains," it added.

Since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has lost about 2,600 main battle tanks and 4,900 other armored vehicles, the ministry said.

Russia's ability to continue its same level of attack comes at a time when the support Ukraine is getting from the West, from which it's getting its more-modern tank models and much of its weaponry, is in doubt.

The gutted remains of a destroyed Russian tank at the front line in Ukraine.Alex Babenko/AP Photo

Ukraine has lost far fewer tanks and vehicles than Russia has in the conflict, according to weapons trackers and experts.

But faltering Western support means that Russia has an advantage.

Ukraine needs help to keep its weaponry and tank fleet working.

In the US, Republicans are blocking new support for Ukraine. The Pentagon said this meant there's no funding even to repair weapons already sent to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, a German lawmaker said Ukraine was using only a "very small number" of the advanced Leopard tanks that Germany gave it because of a lack of spare parts and slow repairs.

Many European countries are still giving support to Ukraine, but Hungary has blocked a major $52 billion support package.

Experts also say that Russia has material, industrial, and manpower advantages over Ukraine.

Russia appears to have been able to manufacture enough missiles to replenish its depleted stockpiles after ramping up its production capabilities.

Over the course of the war, videos have emerged of Russia losing many armored vehicles, including footage filmed in the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, which has become one of the war's most intense hot spots.

One video showed a graveyard of damaged Russian vehicles in Avdiivka late last year.

Ukraine also suffered major tank losses at the start of its counteroffensive efforts in June, but losses seem to have dropped since then.

One expert told Business Insider that Ukraine quickly realized it had made a tactical mistake and pivoted from it, while Russia continued to make the same mistakes and saw repeated tank losses as a result.