Russia's Military Crisis: Rotting Armor, Fuel Shortages, and Horseback Cavalry

Crumbling Russian Armor and Logistics

• decaying Soviet-era tanks and IFVs are being reactivated due to catastrophic battlefield losses and insufficient new production.
• 🥫 Many vehicles are in such poor condition that they must be cannibalized for parts, with estimates suggesting three dilapidated vehicles are needed to create one functional unit.
• 🛰️ Satellite imagery confirms the extensive use of long-term outdoor storage for Russian armor, leading to severe corrosion and disrepair.
• 📉 Russia's equipment losses are so high that its summer 2025 offensive saw significantly fewer armored vehicles deployed compared to previous years, forcing a shift to infantry-heavy tactics.

Devastating Impact on Russia's Oil Industry

• ⛽ Ukraine's drone strikes and European sanctions have crippled Russia's refined oil industry, costing the country an estimated one million tons of fuel in September 2025 alone.
• ⛽ Major refineries have been repeatedly targeted, taking approximately 40% of Russia's refining capacity offline.
• ⛽ Crimea is experiencing severe fuel shortages and rationing, with up to half of its gas stations halting sales.
• 🇪🇺 EU sanctions are hindering Russia's ability to repair damaged refineries by limiting access to necessary parts.

Ukrainian Tactical Superiority in Serebryanski Forest

• 🌳 Ukrainian forces leveraged their intimate knowledge of the Serebryanski forest terrain to conduct precise drone strikes against Russian vehicles and command posts after a tactical withdrawal.
• 🎯 Russian forces, attempting to use Ukrainian supply routes, were exposed and systematically targeted by Ukrainian drones.
• 💀 The forest has become a "death maze" for Russian troops due to the difficult terrain and constant drone surveillance, with high casualties and equipment losses reported.

Desperate Measures: Horseback Cavalry and Exhausted Troops

• 🐎 Russia has resorted to deploying cavalry units on horseback, a tactic not seen since the 1950s, due to severe fuel shortages and a depletion of armored vehicles.
• 💥 A confirmed incident shows a Russian soldier on horseback being destroyed by a Ukrainian FPV drone, highlighting the vulnerability of this archaic tactic.
• 🐴 Beyond direct assault, horses and other animals like donkeys and camels are being used to transport equipment due to the loss of mechanized vehicles.
• 🔋 The use of horses is a direct consequence of Russia's fuel crisis and its inability to sustain mechanized operations, forcing a reliance on non-motorized transport.
• 😫 Russian soldiers are increasingly exhausted from prolonged infantry assaults and the need to carry equipment themselves, further driving the adoption of horses for mobility.