Ukrainians capture rare top‑tier Russian T‑90M tank
3:32 PM EDT, June 25, 2024
Ukrainians captured a T-90M, one of the best tanks the Russian army used during the ongoing war. Experts note that such a situation has not been recorded for many months. We explain the characteristics of the T-90M and its equipment.
Footage showing the transport of the captured T-90M to territory controlled by Ukrainians has surfaced online. It was posted on his Telegram channel by Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko.
Ukrainians captured a T-90M tank
"Captured Russian T-90M Proryv tank! Yes, it has been a while since we took one as a trophy. The last verified captured T-90M Proryv was recorded in September 2023," wrote Kovalenko.
The T-90M is the best and most valuable tank available to Russian units participating in the war in Ukraine. It is estimated that the value of each is around 4.5 million dollars. In service since 2020, the machines have a new 2A46M-5 125 mm cannon and an improved Kalina fire control system. Besides, they are factory-equipped with Relikt modular reactive armor, which protects the hull and turret. The crew can use two machine guns—7.62 mm and 12.7 mm as additional armament. The engine, with a power of 1000 HP, allows these tanks to reach speeds of up to approximately 40 mph.
"The best tank in the world" often disappoints
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly called the T-90M the "best tank in the world," thus earning it the nickname "Putin's pride." The war in Ukraine has shown that besides a few advantages, these tanks have numerous problems. Ukrainians even concluded that the T-90M Proryv was "a failure instead of a breakthrough." Such conclusions were drawn based on the inspection of previously captured units.
Kovalenko reminded that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the verified list of T-90 family tank losses has already reached 145 units. The expert classifies these as destroyed and damaged tanks, as well as those captured by Ukrainians. He adds that the number is much higher because not all Russian losses can be documented in photos or videos.
