As he struggles to make his way through the long, dry grass, firing at Ukrainian troops, the tank’s commander’s head protrudes.
A few seconds after the Russian switches the tank’s course, it bursts into a massive flame.
The anti-tank mines planted in Ukraine have deadly effects like this.
Smoke and flames flood the screen following the first strike, and shrapnel shoots out of the fire in the camera’s direction.
As the tank lies in a twisted heap below, the camera is quickly compelled to zoom out, revealing the immense size of the smoke clouds.
Before the war, the Russian military took great pleasure in their T-90M tanks, believed to be the most modern weapon in Russia’s arsenal. Each tank is valued at £4 million. It can shoot missiles, shells, and machine gun rounds with improved accuracy, automatic target tracking, and increased armor.
With a maximum speed of 60 km/h and a range of 550 km, each T-90M can transport a three-man crew—a commander, a gunner, and a driver.
Supposedly, it can withstand tandem warheads and armor-piercing sabot rounds thanks to its Relikt explosive reactive armor.
It may also detonate smoke grenades in response to laser targeting, making it less vulnerable to anti-tank semi-automatic guided weapon fire.
Despite its cutting-edge armor and firepower, the Ukrainian side proved too strong for the tank.
Supposedly, Russia possessed one hundred of these tanks before the conflict, but two of them have since been destroyed.
In 2022, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry made public images of the same tank’s charred remains, which included a gaping hole in the track system and twisted armor plating.
The evidence points to the rocket crashing through the tank’s wheels, destroying ammunition as it went, and bypassing the tank’s sophisticated defenses and armor.
During that period, Ukraine asserted that a relatively inexpensive rocket launcher, the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle manufactured in Sweden, had neutralized the tank. The rifle costs just £18,500 (with the rocket).
