Russian "armored barns" fail against modern Ukrainian tactics
The Russians continue to deploy tanks known as "armored barns," which can be quite effective under certain conditions. Despite this, Ukrainians have found ways to destroy them even using improvised weapons. Here are the details of how the Ukrainians dismantled the largest specimen observed so far.
In response to the widespread use of FPV drones by the Ukrainians, the Russians are attempting to bolster their vehicles through various means. The most straightforward solution involved jammers; however, these have proven to be less effective and have become largely obsolete due to the growing popularity of FPV drones controlled via fiber optics.
As a result, a new strategy involves covering tanks and other vehicles with scrap metal mounted on stands. This setup is intended to detonate the cumulative warheads used on drones prematurely. This type of shielding is positioned more than 20 inches away from the main armor of the tank or vehicle, meaning the detonation of a PG-7VL grenade will not cause significant damage.
However, as demonstrated in the video below, this approach significantly increases the vehicle's size. This record-large specimen appears to have an extension set about 40 inches from the main structure, but this did not deter soldiers from the 30th Mechanized Brigade, who successfully destroyed the Russian "armored barn."
Russian "armored barn" — ineffective against advanced weapons
This type of barrier is ineffective against weapons with tandem cumulative warheads, where the first warhead penetrates the scrap shielding and the second detonates on the tank's main armor. Unless another layer is separated by, say, 20 inches under the extension, it might make sense, but the trade-off is a significant increase in weight and size, making the protected vehicle more visible.
Such a vehicle cannot be effectively camouflaged, and additional grates, along with wooden logs and pieces resembling cut transmission belts, severely limit the crew's visibility. On the other hand, modern anti-tank systems like the FGM-148 Javelin, Akeron MP, or even Stugna-P, can penetrate more than 40 inches of steel armor.
In the case of a top attack, these systems can pierce through even a multi-layered cage and several inches of steel armor on the roof. A similar scenario occurs with a side hit, but only a direct frontal attack, where strong armor is concealed under the extension, might prove ineffective.
The situation differs with FPV drones or bombing "Baba Yaga" drones armed mostly with PG-7VL grenades, which can penetrate up to 20 inches of steel armor, as well as cluster bomb submunitions or PGN grenades from the People's Republic of Poland era.
In the case of such single-head anti-tank systems, the "armored barn" extension offers relatively good protection. Nevertheless, their effectiveness is largely due to the Ukrainians' current lack and shortage of suitable weapons.
