Russia has begun firing on Ukrainian positions with its new T-14 Armata battle tanks.

On Tuesday, the RIA state news agency reported, “But they have not yet participated in direct assault operations”.

According to RIA, the tanks have been outfitted with additional flank protection and crews have undergone combat coordination in Ukraine training grounds.

The T-14 tank has an unmanned turret, and the crew controls the weaponry remotely from an isolated armored capsule located in the front of the hull.

The tanks can travel at a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour on the highway.

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British military intelligence stated in January that Russian forces in Ukraine were hesitant to accept the first batch of tanks owing to their poor condition.

It further said that any deployment of the T-14 would be a high-risk decision for Russia, made largely for propaganda purposes.

“Production is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat”, the British military warned.

“After eleven years of development, the programme has been plagued by delays, fleet size reductions, and reports of manufacturing problems”, the British military added.

According to Russian media reports, the Kremlin ordered the manufacturing of 2,300 of the tanks, which were first unveiled in 2015 – by 2020, although this was later extended to 2025.

The state conglomerate Rostec began manufacturing approximately 40 tanks with an anticipated delivery after 2023.

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