On March 4 the Kremlin said it would not be deploying its latest tank, the T-14 Armata, into Ukraine.

Even though Russia currently has the upper hand in the war and despite claiming the T-14 is the most sophisticated tank in the world Moscow has refused to use it in the ongoing war. Why?

One reason is that the loss to drones of such a prestigious piece of equipment would dent Putin’s image of invincibility. Anti-drone technology is improving all the time, but the pendulum might be about to swing back to the airborne killers. Advances in AI whereby Automatic Target Recognition allows a drone to find a target even if it is being jammed are just around the corner.

Even so, Ukraine is vulnerable right now. Kyiv’s forces have not built sophisticated defensive fortifications and obstacle belts like Russia’s so-called Surovikin Line. They are starting now, with a huge cash injection, but is it too late?

In the race to build decent defences against the ongoing Russian assault, will it matter that the T-14 is not going to be making an appearance in the war?

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