The latest T-90MS, a star attraction at the February defense exhibition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is now serving in the Russian tank force, according to defense conglomerate Uralvagonzavod.
A video released by Uralvagonzavod shows the T-90MS undergoing testing and being painted in desert camouflage for the exhibition. Russian officials then transported it from Moscow to Abu Dhabi.
After the exhibition, the tank was returned to Russia and repainted green. The manufacturer repainted it, loaded it onto a train with about 10 other T-90M tanks, and shipped them to the front.
"Exhibiting a tank and then deploying it to the battlefield is rare in the modern defense industry, as demonstration models are usually only used for marketing to foreign customers," noted Dylan Malyasov, editor of the Ukrainian military website, Defence Blog.
The T-90MS is the export version of the T-90M Proryv main battle tank. While Russia has displayed T-90MS tanks at previous exhibitions in Abu Dhabi, the version showcased this year was "basically a completely different vehicle", featuring improvements based on experience gained in Ukraine, according to TASS.
The most noticeable upgrades include cage armor and steel mesh covering the turret roof, along with steel frames and rubber sheets covering the rear. This method is commonly used by Russia in the Ukraine conflict to protect tanks and armored vehicles from top-down drone attacks.
In addition, the T-90MS has been upgraded with explosive reactive armor and a modernized fire control system with thermal and television sights, while retaining its 125 mm main gun capable of firing guided missiles.
A crew member shared that the tank's design is convenient for maintenance. "Any malfunction can be fixed if the necessary equipment is available. Even without sufficient infrastructure, we can still find solutions," the soldier said.
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Russian T-90MS tank at the IDEX 2025 exhibition in Abu Dhabi in February. Photo: TASS |
Russia reportedly began deploying T-90M tanks in Ukraine in 4/2023. According to Oryx, a Netherlands-based open-source intelligence analysis website, Russia has lost at least 141 T-90M tanks due to destruction, damage, and abandonment since the beginning of the conflict.
The Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), a Georgia-based military analysis group, estimates that Russia had approximately 65-85 T-90M tanks in service when the Ukraine conflict began. T-90M production has also increased significantly, from 60-70 units in 2022 to over 200 in 2024.
As of 6/2025, Russia has produced around 630 T-90M tanks and operates between 410 and 500. "The current production and loss rates will allow the Russian army to maintain the number of modern tanks in service, even if they have to fight for many years," CIT stated.
Pham Giang (According to RT, Defence Blog)
