Russian army tyres being held together with repair patches

As the war in Ukraine continues, so do the Russian Army’s tyre problems. We have previously reported on the observations of military analysts that the Russian military has been let down by the combination of low-quality and very old tyres. More recently – and bizarrely – we learnt that presumably end-of-life tyres were being used as defensive camouflage for Russian air force jets. Now, the problem is just lack of supply.

Various sources are reporting that tyre Russian tyre supply shortages on the Ukrainian front “are still acute”. Some vehicles are being forced to run without a full complement of tyres. In many cases tyres are being run at the end of their tread life. In the worst cases, casings are literally being held together by a ridiculous number of badly applied repairs.

(Photo: @Front_Narod)

Just as with the poor quality and very old tyres before them, the problem is that such tyres simply won’t be able to continue their logistics and military missions in such poor condition. As the weather gets worse into the Autumn and winter, that reality will only become more pronounced.

As military analyst Trent Trelenko observed, “RuAF loaf/Scooby Doo/Ural vans [won’t] be able to move in the mud season using worn/bald tyres like this off of paved roads.”

Here’s how another Russian source put it: “There is a monstrous, terrible shortage of tyres for Urals and Kamaz trucks in the army. Such as, before the start of the SVO, only existed in the People’s Militia of the Republics. Now there is this shortage throughout the entire army. Extremely worn tyres – everywhere, in some places – already completely smooth, ‘racing, like Formula 1’.

“…Trucks will not drive through the autumn mud – the artillery will not be able to work normally even with shells. Neither work nor move normally from place to place.”

A lot of OSINT accounts on the X-Platform are skeptical of Ukrainian fires being able to logistically starve the RuAF.

I'm not for reasons of RuAF operational attrition.

Trucks with tires like this aren't going to be moving in the Ukrainian mud season
3/https://t.co/ls4Xd60hh4

— Trent Telenko (@TrentTelenko) September 27, 2023