KUBINKA /Moscow Region/. August 23. /TASS/. The first several dozen upgraded T-90M tanks will arrive for the Russian troops in 2019, a source in the Defense Ministry told TASS on the sidelines of the Army-2018 military and technical forum on Thursday.

"In 2019, the Russian Army will get the first batch of heavily modernized T-90M tanks in the amount of several dozen vehicles," the source said.

A contract on the delivery of the T-90M heavily modernized tanks to the troops was signed between the Defense Ministry and Uralvagonzavod armor manufacturer at the Army-2017 international military and technical forum.

The T-90M tank was furnished with the new engine and equipment and with the latest version of the Relikt explosive reactive armor. As was reported earlier, this year, the Russian troops are expected to receive a battalion set of T-90M tanks.

As Uralvagonzavod earlier told TASS, the upgraded T-90M tank considerably surpassed its predecessor, the T-90A, by its combat efficiency during the Zapad-2017 strategic drills.

The Army-2018 international military and technical forum runs in Kubinka outside Moscow on August 21-26.