Ukrainian troops seize top Russian tank in stunning battlefield win

Armies on both sides of the conflict regularly lose machines on the front. In most cases, this is the result of assaults towards enemy positions. However, sometimes military equipment is not destroyed but captured by the enemy as a trophy.

Such situations happen on the front regularly. Not long ago, the Ukrainians boasted of capturing a Russian T-72B3, one of the best tanks in the Russian arsenal, which was almost intact. At another time, the defenders' army snatched BTR-82 carriers from the Russians. There were also such spectacular seizures as the one that took place in the last days of May this year. Back then, Russians lost their "pride," which Putin himself described as "the best tank in the world" – the T-90M Proryv.

Now, Ukrainians from the 68th Separate Rifle Brigade boast a similar success. Once again, they captured the best machine from the Russian arsenal—the T-90M Proryv—almost intact. Shortly after, soldiers from the same brigade also took two more machines from the Russians—a T-80 and a BMP-2. According to the soldiers responsible for the operation, "Now these trophies will ruthlessly destroy their former owners."

How exactly did the capture of the T-90M Proryv in Ukraine happen? The military explains that the Russians fled from the battlefield. "The tank led a charge that ended in complete failure. The T-90 crew left their newest vehicle on the battlefield and fled," read a post on the group's Facebook page. Later, a Ukrainian driver-mechanic decided to reach the abandoned tank "and returned with it."

Let us recall that the T-90M Proryv tank was essentially deemed "a failure instead of a breakthrough" during last year's studies conducted by Ukrainians. This was due to the identification of worn-out parts, the absence of certain elements, etc. Nevertheless, the T-90M remains a machine that poses a real threat to Western weapons used by Ukrainians.

This is primarily because of the 125 mm 2A4M-5 cannon combined with the Kalina fire control system. The T-90M can also fire 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns at lightly armored units and enemy infantry.

The crew’s safety inside the tank is mainly ensured by the Relikt reactive armor, which the manufacturer has applied to the most vulnerable areas of the hull. As seen in the trophy photos published by Ukrainians, the Russian T-90M is also equipped with some "chains," an additional reinforcement meant to protect the structure from incoming drones. The T-90M Proryv is powered by a 1,000 HP engine that propels the tank to speeds of 43 mph.