A rare Soviet experimental tank known as Object 476, codenamed Kedr, has unexpectedly resurfaced in practical use in Ukraine. Built in a very limited series during the late Soviet period, the vehicle was long considered a relic of the past, but recent developments suggest otherwise.

Ukrainian tank units continue to suffer heavy losses. According to figures cited by the Russian side, more than 350 heavy armored vehicles were destroyed over the past year alone — a number comparable to the equipment of a full tank division. Against this backdrop, Ukrainian forces have been forced to recover armored vehicles that had been sitting idle for decades and were originally intended for dismantling or scrapping, Russian media report. These withdrawals from so-called tank graveyards primarily involve early versions of the T-64A and T-64B1, but training grounds have also seen far rarer machines.

Among them is Object 476, a prototype that differs from the standard T-64 by its redesigned turret and a more powerful 6TD-1 engine rated at 1,000 horsepower. Only three such tanks were produced in the second half of the 1970s. For years, it was believed that all of them had been melted down. It later emerged, however, that one example survived and has been used by cadets at the Kharkov Tank Institute, which operates in a closed format. The vehicle itself appears to be no longer capable of moving under its own power and is reportedly used solely for practicing the towing of damaged armored equipment.