# Rusting destroyed vehicles in Ukraine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** ukraine-invasion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401 "2022-04-06T17:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/21 "2022-04-06T22:58:47Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Why do you think the vehicles were " exposed to the elements for what is only a few weeks"? Maybe they had been stored outside for years, and were already rusted, although still operable. I was going to comment this too ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/22 "2022-04-06T23:17:54Z")
Yeah the answer is that fire is rapid oxidation and rusting is slow fire. I’ve never seen a car that burned that wasn’t rusty the next day (no, I’ve never sat around and watched one burn then rust). ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/23 "2022-04-07T02:20:10Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > **FOR SALE** > Russian T-80 tank. > Abandoned once. > Virgin gun barrels. > Garage kept. This is just to say. I have towed the tanks that were on the highway. and which you were probably saving for invasion. Forgive me they were worthless so rusted and so abandoned. Or to go more Hemingway: For sale. One artillery piece. Never fired. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/24 "2022-04-07T04:10:39Z")
> [@bump](#): > > That’s what I was about to say. Unprotected steel will rust VERY fast. Like in a matter of a few days. Ask anyone that welds outdoors (including in their garage). You can buy steel today and if you’re not using it in the next day or two, you’ll spend a good bit of time grinding all the rust off first. I know if I buy some steel for a project that I won’t be doing that day, I’ll keep it in my house until I’m ready. > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Anybody that’s lived near an ocean knows how much impact that has on patio furniture, railings, cars, bikes, etc. Not on quite the same scale, but it goes for saltwater fish tanks as well. Anything rustable that’s near (or in) the tank is going to rust. Somethings aren’t a big deal like the cabinet hinges, other things are a big deal, like equipment with cracked housing that exposes a magnet to water. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/25 "2022-04-07T05:07:23Z")
I’ve seen videos of abandoned Russian military vehicles that had a lot of rust in them, so it can’t just be from fire as these vehicles were abandoned, not destroyed. My understanding is that Russia’s military budget in the 1990s was abysmal, and probably didn’t provide for a lot of funds to purchase new equipment. So some of the equipment is from the 80s or earlier. Considering how poorly the Russians seem to maintain their equipment, its not surprising if there is rust on 40 year old vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/26 "2022-04-07T13:32:01Z")
Not that I’m disagreeing, but I think the OP’s specifically talking about destroyed vehicles- the ones where it’s a pile of rusted junk, and we have the _impression_ that it got knocked out yesterday or something. (we don’t know; those hulks could be from February after all) As far as rust on active equipment goes, you ought to see some photos of Navy ships that are at sea. I gather that it’s a constant and losing fight against rust, considering how rust-buckety some of the ships look before they come back. And it’s certainly not funding; the US Navy spends billions on it. I do agree that the Russian army probably has been less than diligent overall in keeping their stored equipment maintained. I’d be curious to see what the breakdown rate is on their equipment as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/27 "2022-04-07T13:58:49Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Alternatively, rusting is just slow combustion (it’s even exothermic!) Steel/iron can burn nicely under the right circumstances (e.g. high surface-area-to-mass ratio and/or high O2 concentration): - Steel wool is a great firestarter. Light a handful with a match (or just a battery), and you’re good to go. - If you have a pile of steel dust accumulated under a stationary belt/disc sander, a spark can ignite it and get it to smolder. One of the tenets of fire safety in an industrial environment is to keep things clean, and this is one of the reasons why. - A **[thermic lance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_lance)** burns steel in an oxygen stream to make a stream of hot gas that can be used for cutting other things. - When using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel, you start by heating a spot on the part until it starts to melt. Then you squeeze another lever on the torch that greatly increases the oxygen flow; that oxygen combines with the liquified steel and oxidizes it, evolving heat that allows you to move your cut along faster than the oxyacetylene flame itself can. Burned-out vehicles quickly develop a patina of rust because all of the paint and protective coatings are burned away, along with any hint of grease/oil, leaving very bare, very vulnerable metal. Beyond that, the heat of the fire itself gives the oxidation process a nice head-start. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/28 "2022-04-08T01:31:00Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Or to go more Hemingway: > > For sale. One artillery piece. Never fired. Change it to “howitzer” and you’ve got a winner! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401/30 "2022-04-08T03:33:00Z")
I think you’ve already answered that question. The recycling yard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rusting-destroyed-vehicles-in-ukraine/962401.md?page=1)