Ukrainian Troops Capture Russian Tanks Possibly Used In 2005 Parade – Ukrainian soldiers were seen posing in front of captured Russian tanks in Kharkiv Oblast in recent days, an increasingly familiar scene following the Ukrainian military’s successful surprise offensive in the northeast.
#Ukraine: Another #Russia-n T-80BV tank was captured by Ukrainian forces, in very good condition. Exact location unknown but likely either #Kherson or #Kharkiv. pic.twitter.com/bxUvVjDZBE
— Arslon Xudosi ?? (@Arslon_Xudosi) September 13, 2022
In a series of images shared by researcher Arslon Xudosi, Russian T-80BV tanks can be seen, complete with a red star that some Twitter users noted was visible on tanks during a Russian parade held almost two decades ago.
In one photograph, Xudosi notes how the captured T-80BV tank was in “very good condition.”
In another photograph, a soldier is seen sitting on the T-80BV tank’s cannon.
“This tank was captured during the current offensive in #Kharkiv oblast,” Xudosi writes.
#Ukraine: Yet another damaged #Russia-n T-80BV tank now in Ukrainian hands. This tank was captured during the current offensive in #Kharkiv oblast. pic.twitter.com/8HkMQ0FLXf
— Arslon Xudosi ?? (@Arslon_Xudosi) September 13, 2022
Another photograph showed a different T-80BV tank with what Xudosi described as an interesting color pattern. The tank also had a red star in a black circle mounted to the right side of the vehicle, next to the cannon.
#Ukraine: Another #Russia-n tank captured. A T-80BV tank with an interestingly colour pattern was recently captured by Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv oblast. pic.twitter.com/SGLSNb5Aze
— Arslon Xudosi ?? (@Arslon_Xudosi) September 13, 2022
Other photographs shared by Xudosi showed Ukrainian soldiers posing in front of captured BMP-1 and BMP-2 Russian tanks.
#Ukraine: Ukrainian forces captured a BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle recently during battles in #Kharkiv oblast. pic.twitter.com/blsP798pX9
— Arslon Xudosi ?? (@Arslon_Xudosi) September 13, 2022
Decades-Old Tanks?
After the photographs were shared by the Ukraine Weapons Tracker Twitter account, some Twitter users noticed that the star appeared the be the same as those fitted to a number of T-80 tanks during the Yekaterinburg Victory Day parade in 2005.
Tanks featuring the red star, along with modified wheels, were also seen in use on the battlefield in Ukraine in May. Video footage shared earlier this year showed Ukrainian soldiers towing a captured Russian T-80BV tank, with the “Z” symbol emblazoned on the side of the vehicle.
At the time, Twitter users also noted the modified wheels and the red star symbol.
“The T-80’s roads wheels look tarted up, like it’s prepped for a parade or something; I think we know why the May 9 parade was downsized,” one Twitter user noted.
Yes it was at a parade, Yekaterinburg Victory Day parade 2005. T-80 411. pic.twitter.com/5dEApGkCve
— Matt B (@MattBartholome9) May 8, 2022
If these tanks really are the same tanks that were modified for use in a parade, which is entirely possible, it’s just another sign that the Russian military is struggling to cope with the huge losses suffered at the hands of U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems. It’s a situation made substantially worse by Ukraine’s surprise victories in the northeast and the southeast over the last two weeks.
Having lost thousands of tanks in the war so far, and with the Russian Army losing a battalion every day, losing tanks that were already brought out of storage in desperation poses a massive problem for the Kremlin. A problem compounded by Russia’s inability to manufacture newer, more advantaged howitzers.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
