 Russia prepares to involve up to 10,000 old Soviet tanks in the war with Ukraine. After Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's trip to the city of Bakhmut, Kiev is no longer hiding its plans for a counter-offensive in the area. On March the 23rd, ground forces commander Colonel General Alexander Sirsky said that Ukraine could be on the verge of launching an offensive operation, Nezavizimaya Gazeta writes. NATO officials say that the offensive is unlikely to be successful without heavy artillery support. Efforts are being made to solve this problem by way of Ukraine launching the production of Soviet standard munitions. This won't be a quick fix because the process requires specialists, industrial sites and resources. That said, the Ukrainian armed forces will continue to be starved of ammunition for some time, perhaps for a long time until the end of the conflict. Military expert retired Colonel Nikolay Shulgin said. He pointed out that in Russia, ammunition production had significantly increased according to official statements. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said the same, adding that the domestic defense industry will produce 1,500 tanks in 2023. The 1,500 tanks will be enough to form five tank divisions in Russia. They will be a force to be reckoned with. Military expert retired Lieutenant General Yuri Netskachev said. The T-54, T-55 and T-62 tanks are in demand for the ongoing special operation, Netskachev noted. According to open sources, there are up to 10,000 tanks of this type at the Russian Armed Forces' storage depots. There are also several million shells for them. Under the operation instructions adopted back in the Soviet era, they were put away for long-term storage across the country's military districts. The tank's components were maintained to be combat ready, the expert added. Upgraded advanced tanks such as the T-72, T-80 and T-90 will be used for the breakthrough. However, the Soviet armoured vehicles of the past century will play an important, if not decisive role, on the second and third lines in the tactical order of battle, Netskachev explained. Ukraine does not have such Soviet tanks because the country received only modern military equipment after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. However, this equipment was destroyed in the first year of the special military operation, which is why Kiev keeps asking NATO to send its tanks and other weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Russia is only beginning to unpack its Soviet era reserves, which are immense, the general emphasised.