Ukrainian T‑64 tanks bolster defense in Kursk with advanced upgrades

The fighting in the Kursk region continues unabated, with formations equipped with tanks joining lighter units. Here’s what has entered Russia.

After capturing about 11 towns and penetrating approximately 9 miles into the Kursk region, heavier units equipped with tanks are beginning to move in.

The video below shows a T-64BW tank, a vehicle based on the M113 transporter chassis—which could be a YPR-765 infantry fighting vehicle or an AIFV-B-C25 from the Netherlands or Belgium—a UR-77 Meteorit, and a BTR-80 wheeled transporter. All these vehicles feature a comprehensive bar armor package and anti-drone nets.

The T-64 tanks, developed in the 1960s, were characterized by modernity and visionary design but proved too complex for production and maintenance in the Soviet Union. As a result, the simpler and cheaper T-72 was developed. It’s worth noting that T-64 tanks served alongside them in the USSR but were never exported.

After the fall of the USSR, T-64 tanks became the main force of the Ukrainian armored troops because the Malyshev Factory, which produced them, was located in Kharkiv. Meanwhile, the Russians focused on developing locally produced T-72 family machines.

Over the decades, T-64 tanks have undergone numerous upgrades, starting with the BW, completed in the 1980s during the USSR era, to the Ukrainian T-64BM Bulat, T-64BW 2017, T-64BM2 Bulat, and T-64BW 2022 with support from Poland and the Czech Republic.

All variants of Ukrainian upgrades of these machines include advanced reactive armor "Knife," which surpasses older models of reactive armor like Kontakt-1 and Kontakt-5. "Knife" uses shaped charges instead of traditional explosives, providing effective protection against single-shaped charge warheads and kinetic APFSDS-T penetrators. The latter, when hitting the reactive armor at the proper point, can be literally cut to pieces.

Since 2017, T-64 tanks have been equipped with a modern fire control system with a thermal camera, giving them an advantage in detecting and eliminating targets compared to all T-72 tank models below the B3 version. It's also worth noting that in Ukraine, most T-64 tank crews are veterans with extensive combat experience, allowing them to win engagements with newer T-72B3/B3M, for example.