Putin's Desperation for Tanks to Fight in Ukraine Just Hit a New Low
Russia’s Mosfilm, the country’s largest film studio, has donated Soviet-era military vehicles to aid the Russian military amid ongoing losses in Ukraine. The studio supplied 28 T-55 tanks, 8 PT-76 tanks, 6 infantry fighting vehicles, and 8 tractors, many of which were maintained as props for historical films.
What You Need to Know: 3 Key Points - Russia’s Mosfilm, the country’s largest film studio, has donated Soviet-era military vehicles to aid the Russian military amid ongoing losses in Ukraine.
-The studio supplied 28 T-55 tanks, 8 PT-76 tanks, 6 infantry fighting vehicles, and 8 tractors, many of which were maintained as props for historical films.
-Mosfilm has a long history of producing war epics like Alexander Nevsky and War and Peace, and its collection includes military uniforms, small arms, and over 190 armored vehicles.
-The donation underscores Russia’s reliance on outdated equipment, as its modern tank fleet has been significantly depleted during the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia Now Relying on Tanks Donated by Movie Studio
It almost sounds like something straight out of a movie; the largest and oldest film studio in Russia donated dozens of Soviet-era tanks and assorted other armored vehicles to the Russian military. Mosfilm, which was founded in 1924 as a production unit of the state-run film industry, provided the films to the Kremlin earlier this year.
Earlier this month Mosfilm CEO and chairman of the board of directors Karen Shakhnazarov met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the state of the studio, its projects and its support for the Russian military.
"We provided charitable assistance in the amount of eight million this year, including six million for the needs of the SVO. By the way, in 2023 we transferred 28 T-55 tanks, eight PT-76 tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles and eight tractors, which we stored at the military-technical base, to the Armed Forces. I found out that there were needs, contacted the Ministry of Defense – they took these vehicles," Shakhnazarov told Putin.
The Russian leader responded, "We are proud of Mosfilm."
It is unclear what condition the vehicles were in, but they were likely in a running state as the Russian film studio has gone to great lengths to maintain period military hardware. The Kremlin had also maintained thousands of Cold War-era tanks and other armored vehicles in storage, and due to losses in Ukraine has been forced to deploy those old vehicles to the front lines.
It is likely that more than a few of the vehicles preserved by Mosfilm could have been restored to working order – and those tanks that weren't serviceable may have provided the parts to keep other T-55s running.
Mosfilm – Maker of History Epics
The Russian film industry has been noted for producing historic epics that have included hundreds and even thousands of extras, while Mosfilm's productions have included the 1925 silent film The Battleship Potemkin, and it also produced the 1938 historical film Alexander Nevsky, which became part of the propaganda efforts during the Second World War to boost morale in the Soviet Union.
The 1968 film War and Peace directed by Sergei Bondarchuk and also produced at Mosfilm, won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. More recently, in 2012, the studio produced the World War II film White Tiger, about the efforts of a T-34 tank crew to hunt down a seemingly invincible German Tiger tank.
The Soviet film industry is famous for obtaining vast stocks of military surplus, and even today Mosfilm is believed to have the largest wardrobe collection of any film studio in the world. Whereas Hollywood and other Western studios have had to reproduce military uniforms and period-looking clothing for costume dramas, Mosfilm largely was able to just pull from its vaults!
And the collections aren't just clothing, but also included small arms, and much more.
The studio reportedly owns more than 190 armored vehicles, which have been used in many of the recent historical dramas produced in Russia. It was almost six years ago that Russia worked out a deal with Laos to receive around 30 World War II-era T-34/85 tanks – which Moscow planned to use in film, parades, and for placement in movies.
It should be noted that since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, its annual Victory Day Parade in Moscow has included a sole T-34, highlighting how few tanks the Kremlin has available.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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