Will Putin Invade Ukraine?

[Hydra009]

Russian T-80 tank stockpiles run dry:

Do yourself a favor and check out the bar graph at 1min35 seconds:

Russian tanks in storage, 2021 VS 2026
313 T-55  112 (64% gone)
1822 T-62  784 (62% gone)
594  T-64  449 (24% gone)
2696  T-70  640 (76% gone)
1679 T-80  134 (92% gone)
112 T-90  ZERO (completely depleted)

There's the main reason why they're using infantry tactics.  Armor (and not just Russian, but also Ukrainian) really takes a beating anywhere near the frontlines.  Reconnaissance finds them and drones smack into them one after another.

Ukraine uses tanks somewhat differently to minimize losses - bringing in armor in fast flanking actions as needed to support infantry, quickly followed by hasty retreats, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't work because they sometimes get disabled or destroyed while attempting to leave the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Russia just throws a brick on the pedal and charges with full gusto in a frontal assault (they'll never see it coming).  They inevitably get hit and sometimes, the other tanks have the good sense to retreat and it's not catastrophic.  Sometimes, they all get hit.  Sometimes, they charge until they get hit then try to retreat but it's too late.  Russian tanks are more likely to be disabled/destroyed on or near Ukrainian-held territory than vice versa, so the Ukrainians have a chance to capture.  Unfortunately, most of the time it's too far away to tow away safely and the Ukrainians have no choice but to finish it off.  The Russians also finish off their own tanks to deny them to their enemy.