Russia to Begin Production of New T-90M2 Ryvok-1 Tank in 2026

Starting in 2026, Russia is preparing to launch production of a new version of the T-90 tank, known as the T-90M2 Ryvok-1.

The information about the launch of production of the new modification was published by the analytical project Frontelligence Insight.

According to documentation obtained from the Uralvagonzavod Scientific and Production Corporation, the plant is expected to start producing the T-90M2 Ryvok-1 in 2026.

Documents dated spring and summer 2025 indicate that by 2028, the output of modernized vehicles is expected to increase by nearly 80% compared to 2024 levels.

In particular, between 2027 and 2029, it is planned to produce, modernize, or overhaul a total of 1,118 T-90M and T-90M2 tanks.

The consolidated production table ends in 2029, after which, according to the project’s information, the plant will focus exclusively on repairing and modernizing vehicles to the corresponding standard.

The T-90M2 Ryvok-1 tank, known by its factory designation Object 188M2, is set to begin production in 2026 at a rate of 10 units per year.

The exact annual production figures beyond that are unknown, as the yearly output is combined with comprehensive work involving the production, modernization, and refurbishment of tanks, which totaled 290 units in 2027 and 428 units in 2028.

It is worth noting that the factory designation Object 188M2 first appeared in correspondence between Uralvagonzavod and the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant.

The correspondence referred to the supply of components under the index IS-445 for Object 188M2.

It was later revealed that this index refers to the engine RPM sensor installed on each tank, which allowed experts to estimate production volumes based on the number of parts ordered.

Militarnyi previously reported that analysts from the Conflict Intelligence Team questioned the officially stated T-90M production rate of 28–30 units per year. The analysts suggest that, in reality, the number may be in the hundreds annually.

In their analysis, CIT relies on data from the export production of the manufacturing plant, Uralvagonzavod. Since 2001, the plant has been fully occupied with orders for both full-scale production and the supply of knock-down kits (sets of components and assemblies in disassembled form) for further assembly in India.

Even without accounting for the production of kits for tank assembly, the plant, at its peak, produced up to 140 tanks per year. Over the course of 20 years, it exceeded the mark of 100 tanks annually six times, suggesting that tank production between 2022 and 2025 could easily surpass that level, especially considering the significant tank losses in Ukraine.