Profile
- Type
- Main battle tank
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War design; reactivated Russian service in the Russia-Ukraine War
Tanks
T-62
The T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank built around a 115 mm smoothbore gun, a four-person crew, and conventional tracked armor layout. Designed by the Uralvagonzavod design bureau as a successor to the T-54/T-55 family, it became a major Cold War Soviet tank and later reappeared in Russia's war against Ukraine as older T-62M and T-62MV variants were pulled from storage to supplement Russian armored forces.
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Built by
- Uralvagonzavod
- Built in
- Soviet Union
Service History
- In service
- Entered Soviet service in 1961; reactivated Russian variants documented in Ukraine from 2022
- Used by
- Russian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- UKBTM design bureau, Factory No. 183
- Designed
- Late 1950s to 1961
- Built by
- Uralvagonzavod
- Built in
- Soviet Union
- Produced
- 1961-1975 Soviet production; main UVZ production through 1973
- Number built
- About 19,000 Soviet-built T-62 tanks; more than 20,000 total cited by museum sources
- Variants
- T-62, T-62M, T-62MV, T-62K
Specifications
- Crew
- 4
- Main armament
- 115 mm U-5TS / 2A20 smoothbore gun
- Secondary armament
- 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun; later variants could mount a 12.7 mm DShK/DShKM anti-aircraft machine gun
- Combat weight
- About 37-40 tonnes depending on variant and source
- Engine
- V-55 series diesel, 580 hp on baseline T-62; 620 hp listed for T-62M
- Range
- About 450 km on roads with integral fuel, or up to 650 km with auxiliary fuel tanks
- Protection
- Cast turret and sloped steel hull armor, with later T-62M/T-62MV upgrades adding passive or explosive reactive armor packages
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russia
Russian forces returned stored T-62M and T-62MV tanks to service for the invasion of Ukraine, with documented battlefield losses and captures after their reappearance in the theater.
T-62 Images
Related Weapon Systems
Leopard 1A5Main battle tankThe Leopard 1A5 is a German main battle tank modernization centered on improved fire control, thermal sighting, and the 105 mm L7-series gun. In the Russia-Ukraine War, refurbished A5-family tanks from European industrial stocks give Ukrainian armored units a lighter Western tank with good mobility and logistics support, but less passive protection than newer Leopard 2 variants.
M-55SUpgraded T-55 main battle tankThe M-55S is Slovenia's modernized T-55 main battle tank, rebuilt by ST Ravne with a 105 mm gun, explosive reactive armor, fire-control upgrades, laser-warning equipment, and NATO-compatible ammunition. During the Russia-Ukraine War, Slovenia committed 28 M-55S tanks to Ukraine through a ring exchange with Germany, making the type a legacy Soviet chassis adapted for Western-supported Ukrainian armored forces.
PT-91 TwardyMain battle tankThe PT-91 Twardy is a Polish main battle tank developed from the T-72M1 with domestic upgrades including ERAWA explosive reactive armor, improved fire-control equipment, and an 850 hp diesel powerpack. In the Russia-Ukraine War it represents a Polish-supplied T-72-family tank type used to expand Ukraine's armored force with a familiar three-crew, autoloaded 125 mm platform.
Strv 122Main battle tankThe Strv 122 is Sweden's upgraded Leopard 2 main battle tank, adapted for Swedish service with reinforced protection, Swedish communications, smoke launchers, and a four-person crew. Sweden transferred ten tanks to Ukraine in 2023, pairing the donation with training for Ukrainian crews before the vehicles were fielded in the Russia-Ukraine War.
T-54/T-55Main battle tank / medium tank familyThe T-54/T-55 is a Soviet tank family built around a low-profile tracked hull, four-person crew, and 100 mm D-10-series gun. It became one of the most widely produced tank families of the Cold War, with Soviet and licensed production spreading across Warsaw Pact and partner states. In the Russia-Ukraine War, its renewed appearance with Russian forces has been notable because it illustrates Russia drawing on very old armored reserves for secondary fire-support or positional roles rather than fielding a modern main battle tank capability.
T-80Main battle tankThe T-80 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank built around a compact three-man layout, autoloaded 125 mm gun, and gas-turbine mobility in most major variants. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears on both sides: Russia has deployed T-80BV, T-80U, and T-80BVM-family tanks, and Ukraine has operated captured Russian T-80s alongside its own armored forces.Sources
T-62Publisher: The Tank Museum | Note: Supports background, role, production scale, main weapon, crew, and general service context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20T62 Main Battle TankPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports technical specifications, armament, mobility, range, and limitations for the T-62/T-62M series. | Accessed: 2026-06-20T-62 (Object 166)Publisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Supports designer/manufacturer background, service entry, production timeline, variants, and detailed specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine army is now able to create one T-62 tank battalion thanks to tanks captured from Russian armyPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War context for Russian T-62M/T-62MV use and Ukrainian capture of Russian vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War use by documenting Russian T-62M and T-62MV tanks lost during the invasion of Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:T-62 and T-62M tanks transported by train.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page; Wikimedia Commons lists the file under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:T-62 with identification marks.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance and licensing page; Wikimedia Commons lists the file under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. | Accessed: 2026-06-20