Fire at Russian tank factory raises sabotage concerns amid Ukraine war
6:21 AM EDT, September 13, 2024
Omsktransmash Plants is the second-largest tank factory in Russia after Nizhny Tagil and belongs to the Uralvagonzavod conglomerate. In Omsk, T-80 family tanks are repaired or rebuilt, and heavy TOS-1A flamethrowers and 2S19 "Msta-S" howitzers are produced. We present the performance of these machines.
The fire broke out on September 12th at the Omsktransmash factory, reportedly due to repair work being conducted by an external company. According to Omsktransmash's statement, the fire was not supposed to affect the production process, and there were no casualties. Whether this is indeed the case will be revealed when photos from the site emerge.
Here is what Omsktransmash produces — critical equipment for the Russians
Due to losses suffered during the war in Ukraine, the Russians are pulling out whatever they can from "strategic junkyards." However, it turned out that the condition of post-Soviet equipment from these stockpiles varies, and in recent years, the Russians have been heavily pulling out not T-72 tanks, which they theoretically had more of, but T-80s. The Ukrainians, who recently captured Russian tanks in the Kursk region, also noted that the T-80BWM and T-90M are in much better condition than the T-72 models.
One can assume that the less popular family of machines worldwide was simply less pilfered over the last decades and was in a state suitable for faster restoration to combat readiness. Covert Cabal, which analyzes Russian stockpiles based on satellite images, estimated that out of about 1,200-1,600 units of T-80B/BW from before the war, less than 300 visible units remained for Russia by mid-2024.
The Russians are massively rebuilding these machines to the T-80BWM standard, making them one of the most dangerous tanks Ukrainians could encounter. Without even reasonably modern tanks, conducting an offensive is impossible; the Russians know this, too.
The T-80BWM tanks, produced since 2017, are rebuilds of older machines. Beyond general overhauls, a new fire control system with a thermal sight is installed, the loading automation is adapted for longer shells, and heavy two-layer reactive Relikt armor is placed on the main tank body, protecting tandem warhead ammunition.
Moreover, starting in 2023, drone jammers and "roofs" were added to protect against bomblets or PG-7VL grenades dropped from drones like the "Baba Yaga." Overall, T-80BWM tanks are durable machines capable of surviving several hits from FPV drones, provided they do not hit several critical spots, causing the ammunition storage to explode.
Additionally, the Omsk plants produce heavy flamethrowers like the TOS-1A, which are rocket launchers containing 100 lbs of thermobaric explosive material. Unlike classic explosive charges, this is much more deadly, especially in built-up areas or fortifications. Besides the classic explosion effects, a vacuum and pressure spikes occur in the impact zone, tearing internal organs.
