Despite receiving a lot of expectations, the T-90M tank performed poorly on the Ukrainian battlefield.
The T-90M tank is the best-armored vehicle that Russia can unleash on the Ukrainian battlefield in conditions of struggling against sanctions from the West.
The T-90M variant is equipped with a 125mm 2A46M-4 smoothbore cannon capable of firing all standard ammunition, as well as AT-11 Sniper-B anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Its secondary armament consists of a 12.7 mm NSVT heavy machine gun accompanied by a 7.62 mm PKTM coaxial machine gun.
The configuration of the Proryv-3 is similar to that of previous T-90 models, with the cockpit in the front, the turret in the center, and the engine in the rear. At its heart is a 1,130 hp 12-cylinder engine, for a top speed of 60 km/h on asphalt and 50 km/h on off-road.
The tank is equipped with new generation Relikt ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) armor, located in front and on each side of the turret. The T-90M was tested for the first time during the Zapad international exercise in September 2017. An unknown number of T-90Ms were deployed to Ukraine in the spring, and in May the manufacturer Uralvagonzavod – a member of the state-owned technology group Rostec – even held a ceremony to hand over a series of vehicles. New tank for the Russian Army.
“Preparation for mass production of this modern combat vehicle has been carried out with positive results,” the press office of the Rostec corporation said. Earlier this month, there were further reports that Uralvagonzavod remains the only production facility producing MBT that has managed to fulfill orders from Moscow. The tanks could soon be deployed to the combat zone.
Many old Russian T-72 tanks were destroyed in Ukraine, they even had to send their old T-62s to the Donbas area. As hostilities intensify, it seems the Kremlin wants to send more capable MBTs. While the T-14 Armata is considered superior to any MBT that has appeared in Ukraine, since the vehicle has not yet completed the tests, the T-90M still has to play the main role of the impulses. size. However, those tanks were also burned, the survivability was not as high as advertised. Many tanks are also seen with additional “special armor” on the turret.
This structure consists of manually welded steel plates, shielding the upper part of the turret in the hope of preventing the blow-out blow of the Javelin anti-tank missile or the US-made Switchblade suicide drone. export. However, similar to the construction seen on the roofs of the T-72B2 or T-80BVM at the beginning of the war, this additional “armor” did not prevent the damage from the dark T-90M Proryv-3. newer.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the Donbass battlefield, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed more than 20 Russian T-90M tanks, which accounts for more than half of the vehicles launched into the hot spot.
Although the above figure needs to be verified, the damage to the Russian armored forces was so heavy that they had to bring the old T-62 to the battle, or mobilize the T-72B3s, which specialize in the Tank Biathlon competition. Going to the battlefield partly showed that.
