Why Yemen Refuses To Part With The World War II-Era Russian T-34 Tanks? March 15, 2021 Images of the World War II-era T-34 battle tanks being used in Yemen have surfaced on social media. The T-34 medium tank was developed by the erstwhile Soviet Union. It was introduced in 1940 amid World War II and was used by the Soviet Red Army against German occupation forces as a counter to ‘Operation Barbarossa‘. The T-34 holds a special place in history as one of the best tank designs during World War II. It has inspired a huge family of tanks in the Russian industry.