Russian T-90A tanks were geolocated in eastern Ukraine in 2014; later open-source loss tracking documented Russian T-90A and T-90AK losses during the full-scale invasion, and Ukrainian statements reported captured T-90A tanks entering Ukrainian service.
Role detailsTanks
T-90
Also known as
- T-90 tank
- Object 188
- T-72BU
- T-90A
- T-90AK
- T-90 Vladimir
- T-90K
The T-90 is a Russian main battle tank family developed from the late Soviet T-72B line and built by Uralvagonzavod. This baseline page covers the original T-90 and Russian-service T-90A/T-90AK branch, separating it from the catalog's export T-90S/T-90SA and modernized T-90M records. Direct conflict evidence places T-90A-family tanks with Russian forces in eastern Ukraine and in the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War, and with Syrian government forces and later captured users during the Syrian Civil War.
Role in Conflicts
T-90 tanks were supplied to the Syrian Arab Army from late 2015 and appeared in combat by 2016; later reporting documented T-90A losses, opposition captures, rebel use, and an Islamic State capture in eastern Syria.
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Russia
- Built by
- Uralvagonzavod
- Type
- Main battle tank
- Service note
- 1990s-present T-90 family service, with T-90A combat evidence in Ukraine and Syria
- Designer
- Kartsev-Venediktov Design Bureau / Uralvagonzavod
- Designed
- Late 1980s development as Object 188; first production T-90s in the early 1990s
- Unit cost
- Not stated consistently in open official sources for the baseline family
- Produced
- 1992-present family production and modernization
- Number built
- Not stated consistently for the whole T-90/T-90A/T-90M/export family in open sources
Specifications
- Crew
- 3
- Combat weight
- 46,500 kg in Army Recognition T-90/T-90A tables; Rosoboronexport lists 46.5 t for the T-90S export branch
- Main armament
- 125 mm 2A46M smoothbore gun on baseline T-90; T-90A source lists 125 mm 2A46M-5
- Secondary armament
- 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and 12.7 mm anti-aircraft heavy machine gun
- Guided missile
- 9M119 Refleks / AT-11 Sniper gun-launched missile, laser beam-riding, about 5 km guidance range
- Protection
- Composite armor, Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor, smoke grenade launchers, NBC protection, and Shtora-1 optoelectronic countermeasures on baseline descriptions
- Engine
- V-84MS 840 hp diesel on baseline T-90; V-92S2 diesel on T-90A descriptions
- Max road speed
- 60 km/h
- Road range
- About 550 km on road for baseline T-90; 500 km listed for T-90A
Family Boundaries
The T-90 label is easy to overextend because export tanks, Russian-service T-90A vehicles, and later Proryv modernizations share a family name. This record keeps the baseline and T-90A/T-90AK branch together, then links out to the export and T-90M records where the catalog already has more specific pages.
Baseline scope
Original T-90, T-90K, T-90A, and T-90AK context where sources identify the Russian-service branch.
Export branch
T-90S/T-90SA tank covers export evidence, including Azerbaijani and Algerian context.
Modernized branch
T-90M covers the Proryv modernization and its separate Ukraine loss record.
Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank; T-90A MBT; Tankspotting: T-90As in the Donbass; T-90S Tank.
Variants
This page uses T-90 for the original and Russian-service T-90A/T-90AK baseline branch. Export T-90S/T-90SA and later T-90M Proryv coverage are kept as separate catalog pages where conflict evidence and specifications differ.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| T-90K | Command version | Army Recognition lists T-90K as the command version of the T-90. Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank |
| T-90A | Russian army version | Army Recognition identifies T-90A as the Russian army version with welded turret, V-92S2 engine, and ESSA thermal viewer; Bellingcat used turret and smoke-launcher details to distinguish T-90A imagery in eastern Ukraine. Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank, T-90A MBT, Tankspotting: T-90As in the Donbass |
 | Export-family branch | The export T-90S/T-90SA branch has its own catalog page so export specifications and Azerbaijani/Nagorno-Karabakh evidence are not folded into this baseline Russian-service record. Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank, T-90S Tank |
 | Proryv modernization | The T-90M Proryv modernization has a separate catalog page because its turret, protection, fire-control package, and Ukraine conflict evidence are distinct from earlier T-90/T-90A coverage. Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank |
Ammunition Fired
The T-90 family uses a 125 mm smoothbore gun and can fire conventional tank ammunition as well as gun-launched anti-tank missiles.
| Ammunition | Ammunition type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Gun-launched anti-tank missile | Army Recognition identifies the T-90's Refleks guided-weapon system and describes the 9M119 missile as laser-beam guided and fired through the main gun. Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank |
Timeline
T-90 Key Events
Early production family enters service
Army Recognition describes first production T-90 versions as appearing in the early 1990s and identifies Uralvagonzavod/Kartsev-Venediktov design lineage from the T-72B.
Sources: T-90 Main Battle Tank
T-90A branch enters Russian service
Army Recognition says T-90A tanks entered Russian service in 2005 with welded-turret, engine, and thermal-viewer changes from the standard T-90.
Sources: T-90A MBT
T-90A imagery geolocated in eastern Ukraine
Bellingcat's Tankspotting analysis documented T-90A tanks in eastern Ukraine during summer 2014 and assessed that at least three operated in the area.
Sources: Tankspotting: T-90As in the Donbass
T-90s supplied to Syrian government forces
Bellingcat's Syrian armor-loss study states that T-90 tanks were first supplied to the Syrian Arab Army in late 2015.
Sources: Nine Years of War
Syrian T-90A combat and loss evidence expands
The National Interest reported T-90A combat appearances, TOW strikes, losses, and captures during 2016-2017 Syrian fighting.
Sources: Syria Showed that Russia's T-90 Tanks Can Be Killed
T-90A losses and captures documented in Ukraine
Oryx's visual-loss list records Russian T-90A and T-90AK losses in Ukraine, while Business Insider reported Ukrainian statements that captured T-90A tanks had entered Ukrainian service.
Sources: Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Ukraine Armed With Modern T-90 Tanks Captured From the Russians
Media
T-90 Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
T-90 Main Battle TankPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports baseline T-90 development lineage, Uralvagonzavod/Kartsev-Venediktov design context, variants, armament, Refleks missile compatibility, protection, mobility, crew, dimensions, speed, and range. | Accessed: 2026-07-06T-90A MBTPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports T-90A variant background and specifications including welded turret, V-92S2 powerpack, 125 mm 2A46M-5 armament, autoloader, Kontakt-5 ERA, Shtora-1, crew, weight, speed, and range. | Accessed: 2026-07-06T-90S TankPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports export-family boundary context and shared T-90S-family specifications including crew, combat weight, speed, range, armament, and laser beam-riding guided weapon range. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Tankspotting: T-90As in the DonbassPublisher: Bellingcat | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct use: T-90A tanks documented and geolocated in eastern Ukraine during summer 2014, with at least three tanks assessed in the area. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct use: visually confirmed Russian T-90A and T-90AK losses in Ukraine, including destroyed, abandoned, and captured vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Ukraine Armed With Modern T-90 Tanks Captured From the RussiansPublisher: Business Insider | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use/captured-equipment context: Ukrainian statements that captured Russian T-90A tanks entered Ukrainian service after Russian battlefield retreats. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Nine Years of WarPublisher: Bellingcat | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use: Syrian Arab Army receipt and active use of T-90 tanks, first supplied from Russia in late 2015. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Syria Showed that Russia's T-90 Tanks Can Be KilledPublisher: The National Interest | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use: T-90A transfer to the Syrian Arab Army, combat use, anti-tank missile engagements, losses, opposition captures and use, and an Islamic State capture. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Modern T-90 tank of the Russian ArmyPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Russian T-90 main battle tank photograph licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-06T-90 main battle tank (2)Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a T-90 main battle tank photograph licensed under CC BY-SA 1.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-06