The T-50 was a light infantry tank built by the Soviet Union at the beginning of World War II.

The design for this vehicle had some advanced features, but was complicated and expensive, and only a short production run of 69 tanks was completed.

The experience of the Spanish Civil War led to an effort to upgrade or replace the large Soviet tank fleet.

However, just prior to and during the war, the USSR developed new light, medium and heavy tanks of wholly indigenous design.

Initial prototypes, called T-126 and T-127, were not much improved over the T-46-5 project which had been abandoned earlier that year, but the heavier T-126 was selected for further development.

In the meantime, a replacement for the BT fast tanks was developed and built at the Malyshev Factory (KhPZ) in Ukraine, which exceeded its original programme.

After the German invasion, Operation Barbarossa in June, tank factories were ordered to be transferred to the Urals.

But faced with the need to accelerate T-34 production, and due to a lack of interest from troops in the field, the Soviet infantry tank concept was abandoned.

The T-50 was an advanced design for its time, with torsion-bar suspension, diesel engine (in common with all the new Soviet tanks) and well-sloped, all-welded armor.

Just prior to the German invasion of the USSR, many Soviet tanks had their armor reinforced with welded or bolted add-on plates.

This up-armored variant is recognizable by the bolt heads that hold the armor added to the turret sides and hull front.

Luchshiy legkiy tank Velikoy Otechestvennoy) that this additional armour was added by Finnish repair workshop.