Ukrainian Armed Forces Tank Troops Day: the history of the holiday
Kyiv • UNN
On September 14, Ukraine celebrates Tank Troops Day, established in 2023 instead of Tanker’s Day. Tanks remain important in the war of drones, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ fleet has been reinforced with Western-made vehicles.
Today, September 14, Ukraine celebrates Tank Forces Day. Despite the fact that modern warfare is increasingly being called a drone war, tanks and tank units have not lost their importance on the battlefield. Armored vehicles continue to perform important tasks - supporting infantry, striking enemy positions, covering units, and ensuring troop mobility. UNN explains why Ukraine changed the date of the tank crews’ professional holiday, what role tanks play in modern warfare, and how Ukraine’s armored vehicle fleet has changed over the years of the full-scale invasion.
Why Tankers’ Day was replaced with Tank Forces Day and when this happened
On September 9, 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "honoring the courage and heroism of tank crews demonstrated in the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as with the aim of establishing new military traditions," established Tank Forces Day in Ukraine, celebrated annually on September 14.
Zelenskyy’s decree replaced a decree by Ukraine’s second President, Leonid Kuchma - No. 922/97, under which Tankers’ Day was celebrated annually in Ukraine on the second Sunday of September.
The modern date was established to honor the courage of Ukrainian tank crews and to launch a new military tradition. Symbolically, it was linked to the 2022 Kharkiv offensive, after which, on September 14, the Ukrainian flag was raised over liberated Izium.
The history of the holiday in Ukraine
The change was not merely formal. The new holiday was created as part of a Ukrainian military tradition linked to the modern history of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was on September 14, 2022, after the main phase of the Kharkiv offensive and stabilization measures had been completed, that the blue-and-yellow flag was raised over liberated Izium.
The Kharkiv counteroffensive became one of the most successful operations conducted by the Defense Forces during the first year of the full-scale war. Tank units ensured the high speed of advance and the firepower of Ukrainian forces. According to various reports, during this operation Ukrainian troops also captured 77 Russian tanks, some of which were later used against the occupying forces.
Thus, September 14 has a dual significance. It is a professional date for Ukrainian tank crews and, at the same time, a reminder of one of the operations that demonstrated the Defense Forces’ ability to conduct rapid mechanized offensives and liberate significant territories.
The role of tank units in modern warfare
War is changing faster than anyone can adapt. Drones, reconnaissance, and new tactics – all of this rewrites the rules every month. But one thing remains unchanged: when it is necessary to break through defenses or cover infantry on the ground, a tank goes there.
The war has changed, and so has the role of the tank on the battlefield. But the relevance of tank crews has not yet faded.
Tank forces remain one of the key elements of the ground forces even amid a war of drones, precision weapons, and advanced reconnaissance systems. Despite the changing nature of combat operations, armored vehicles continue to perform critically important tasks – from breaking through defenses to supporting infantry and deterring the enemy.
Ukraine’s tank forces remain an important element of modern warfare, combining mobility, firepower, and the ability to influence the course of combat operations. Their effectiveness today is determined not only by the technical characteristics of tanks, but also by the level of coordination with infantry, artillery, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare systems.
Understanding the role of tank forces makes it possible to better assess why armored vehicles continue to play a key role in the Armed Forces of Ukraine even amid a war of drones, where technologies are changing rapidly and adaptation is becoming a decisive factor in success.
Ukraine’s armored vehicle fleet
After 2022, the Ukrainian armored vehicle fleet became significantly more diverse. Before the full-scale invasion, the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s tank fleet consisted of Soviet T-64, T-72, and T-80 tanks of various modifications, but after 2022 Ukraine received Western main battle tanks from its partners.
T-64 model 2017 of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The rearmament of Ukrainian crews with equipment built to different standards also became important. For example, in 2023, the United Kingdom transferred 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, the United States announced the transfer of 31 M1 Abrams tanks, and Germany delivered the first 14 Leopard 2 tanks.
British Challenger 2 in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Subsequently, the number of Western armored vehicles increased thanks to contributions from other partners.
American M1 Abrams fitted with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor
Poland contributed the most to replenishing the main battle tank fleet—more than 300 vehicles, including T-72, Leopard 2, and PT-91 Twardy tanks.
Leopard 2A4 of Ukrainian servicemen
As already noted, Ukraine’s tank fleet was predominantly a Soviet legacy. Ukrainian designers also did not stand still, creating the T-64BM Bulat, which is an upgrade of the Soviet T-64BV tank. The upgrade included strengthening the protection of the hull and turret with Nozh explosive reactive armor, a more powerful engine, and a number of other improvements.
T-64BM "Bulat"
Ukrainian designers also created one of the best modern tanks—the BM Oplot, developed by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine-Building Design Bureau. The BM Oplot is a fundamental modernization of the T-84 tank and the newest representative of the series.
BM "Oplot"