A top Russian tank touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the “world’s best” has suffered at least 100 losses in the war in Ukraine, according to open-source information.
The losses were recorded by Oryx, an open-source intelligence site that relies on visual evidence to confirm and track war losses on both sides. More T-90Ms may have also been lost in combat but not recorded. Business Insider was unable to independently verify the information.
Losses, per the site’s analysis, include destroyed, damaged, and captured vehicles.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The significant losses of the T-90M in combat highlight how the war has threatened heavy armor on both sides, even higher-end systems.
Earlier this year, the Defense Ministry of Ukraine posted footage of a US-made Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle overwhelming a Russian T-90M tank with fire from its 25mm chain gun.
Drones and loitering munitions, as well as mines and anti-tank missiles, are perhaps the greater threat, as these have also destroyed top Western armor provided to Ukraine, such as the Challenger, Leopard, and Abrams tanks.
Just as Ukraine has been doing with some of its tanks in this threat environment, Russia has equipped some T-90Ms with protective cope cages to shield them against anti-tank weapons and drones.
The tank boasts a powerful engine, panoramic sight with rangefinder, thermal imagining, multi-layered armor, and ammunition placed outside the unit to prevent a catastrophic explosion.
One of the first reported losses of the advanced T-90M occurred just months into the war, when a Ukrainian journalist shared a photo of the charred vehicle in Kharkiv.
The original article contains 420 words, the summary contains 172 words. Saved 59%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Russia’s “best” tank was actually the T-14 Armata Wunderwaffe.
Have any of those actually been spotted in the field yet?
Supposedly, yes: https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/t14-first-combat-ukraine-reports
I seem to remember seeing a video of a T-14 in Ukraine myself, but can’t confirm. (Russia keeps its T-14’s and SU-57’s far away from the front as those getting destroyed would undermine all the hype and kill export value.)
There are few BMPT Terminator destruction videos out in the wild, if you were curious.
The T14 has a stealth system that makes it invisible, that explains why nobody has seen it anywhere.
Well thanks, I legitimately had never seen or heard a credible report of a T14 actually being in Ukraine.