“It’s hard to even tell how old it is”: T-62 captured by Ukrainian forces

Rare trophy: Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine captured a T-62 tank of the Russian army.

T-62 – illustrative photo. Image credit: Katangais via Wikimedia, CC BY 2.5

The rare and quite ancient exemplar was captured by the soldiers of the 17th tank brigade. This was reported by the official Ukrainian military press service.

Defenders of Ukraine did not provide specific details of the successful operation. But they noted that it is quite difficult for them to imagine how old this tank is – although it’s a fact that Russians are still using this model to try to seize Ukrainian territory.

T-62 – Soviet medium tank (based on the T-55), produced since 1962. Until 1975 More than 22,700 units were produced.

The captured T-62. Image credit: Armed Forces of Ukraine

Soviet designers began to develop this medium tank in 1957. The T-62 was based on its predecessor, T-55. The first two or three prototypes of the new vehicle appeared between January and March 1959 under the designation “Uralets”.

The T-62 prototypes passed factory tests from November 4, 1959 to April 14, 1960. Despite several modernization attempts, it is a really old platform.

The T-62 is equipped with a 115 mm smoothbore gun, although Russia has long since transitioned to a 125 mm standard. With a weight of merely 37 tonnes, the T-62 is often commended for its mobility, but in comparison to more modern and heavier tanks, its mobility is only marginally better. Essentially, it is an outdated tank.

Operating at a maximum speed of 40-50 km/h, the T-62 is slower than the T-72, which can reach speeds of 60-75 km/h. Additionally, the T-62 has a larger crew, an antiquated turret, and lacks sufficient armor. In today’s era, it simply does not perform well or meet the necessary military standards.

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