Russian 'armored barns': Desperate tank revamps revealed
The Russians have not ceased using frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions. Some of these assaults involve motorcycles and oddly modified civilian cars, while others use barely functional armored wrecks. We present an example of a vehicle from the latter category.
Recently, Russians have been more frequently observed using bizarrely modified civilian cars or motorcycles and armored equipment commonly referred to as "armored barns."
In the video below, you can see an "armored barn" based on the hull of a T-54/55 or T-62 tank, identified by the number of road wheels. A Russian soldier even shows the interior, revealing the absence of a turret. Its space is replaced by a superstructure made from scrap metal, mesh, wood, and pieces of rubber resembling conveyor belts. Inside, there are seats for a large assault group.
Russian "armored barn" — a scrap metal substitute for an armored taxi
While in the case of tanks, layering scrap metal over half a meter away from the actual armor might be effective against FPV drones with anti-tank bomblets or older PG-7VL grenades, this isn’t effective for the superstructure alone.
This is because even if a shaped-charge warhead detonates further away, the cumulative jet still retains enough penetration power. In the case of the superstructure made from scrap, it will not protect the people inside from these attacks, and judging by the construction, there may also be issues with fragments from artillery shells.
The vehicle in question likely resulted from finding a still-functional hull of a T-54/55 or T-62 tank in the rear and the need to create an alternative due to the shortage of BMPs or BTRs in the unit it belongs to.
Essentially, the only person who might be protected by this "armored barn" is the driver, and that's only against improvised anti-tank weapons, not military systems like the FGM-148 Javelin launcher. Unfortunately, for the rest of the passengers, it could be a death sentence if attacked by anything.
