Ukrainian forces crack the code on Russia's 'invincible' turtle tanks

Russian turtle tanks have recently emerged on the front line, challenging destruction for a significant period. However, the Ukrainians have discovered effective strategies to combat these formidable adversaries.

A new category of Russian military vehicle debuted on the Ukrainian front in April 2024. Dubbed the "turtle tanks," these units swiftly attracted derision and humor at the expense of the Russian military. Despite their bulky appearance—courtesy of added steel plates to T-62, T-72, or T-80 tanks—their design was far from laughable.

According to Rob Lee from the American Foreign Policy Research Institute, this Russian initiative was far from a crazy adaptation. Though the design faced mockery, it was a strategic response to specific combat challenges, highlighting the Russians' adaptability on the battlefield.

Initially, unmanned aerial drones were the primary countermeasure against the armored behemoths, but the Russian tanks remained a substantial menace to Ukrainian forces due to their indestructibility, as Forbes described. The drones served as a temporary solution to compensate for the lack of artillery ammunition. With the subsequent arrival of American ammunition and other supplies at the front, Ukrainian forces gained the upper hand, increasing their offensive output with more shells and missiles, thereby beginning to neutralize the previously invincible threats.

Small drones had proven ineffective against the thick additional armor of the turtle tanks. However, smaller missiles and artillery shells, capable of breaching the armor and igniting the interior, have demonstrated effectiveness. The welded plates also pose an evacuation challenge for Russian crews in emergencies, further diminishing the tanks' battlefield viability.