The Russian military has begun replenishing storage bases for tanks, armored vehicles and artillery systems in recent months after depleting a significant portion of its reserves during the full-scale war against Ukraine, Important Stories reported on October 17, citing an analysis of satellite imagery.
The changes were identified by open-source intelligence researchers Mark Krutov, Jompy and Covert Cabal. According to their observations, some bases have received refurbished and newly manufactured armored vehicles, including equipment recently produced by Russian factories.
Refurbished T-72B3 tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles began appearing at the 349th Central Storage Base in Topchikha, Altai Krai, around June 2026. Researchers counted approximately 78 tanks and more than 100 infantry fighting vehicles arriving over the summer.
Additional equipment was also observed at the 6018th storage base, including BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and BMD-4 airborne combat vehicles.
The analysts paid particular attention to facilities in European Russia.
At the 22nd Central Reserve Base in Buy, Kostroma region, T-90M tanks, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles appeared between autumn 2025 and October 2026. The base is located approximately 500 kilometers from the borders of Estonia and Latvia.
In Karelia, roughly 185 kilometers from the Finnish border, researchers recorded the arrival of new Malva artillery systems and Giatsint-K self-propelled guns.
These facilities are storage bases, however. The equipment held there is not assigned to active military units and is not ready for immediate deployment.
During the early years of the full-scale invasion, the Russian military extensively drew on long-term equipment reserves to replace battlefield losses. Researchers believe the subsequent replenishment of those reserves may be partly linked to changing requirements on the battlefield, where drones have become increasingly important.
The accumulation of equipment indicates that Russia is rebuilding its military reserves, but it does not, in itself, demonstrate preparations for an attack on NATO countries.