The war in Ukraine does not seem like it will end anytime soon.
Who will win the conflict?
We know one thing: social media will give us a lot of clues
The War in Ukraine Hits Social Media
Social media has changed the way conflicts around the world are observed, and in the past year since Russia launched its unprovoked and unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, multiple platforms have provided essentially uncensored access to the frontlines.
Late in February, the Twitter account Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) shared videos that showed the destruction of a pair of Ukrainian-used main battle tanks (MBTs).
In one video shared on Twitter, the crew of a Ukrainian T-72B3 MBT was forced to abandon the vehicle after it ran over anti-tank landmines near Vuhledar in the Donetsk Oblast.
That tank had been previously captured from the Russian Army and was put in service with Ukrainian forces.
Based on the 44-second video, the crew was able to successfully escape from the wreck and made their way to safety.
The T-72 MBT wasn’t the most produced armored vehicle of the Cold War, but it does have a more ominous or dubious distinction – namely that it is now likely the most destroyed tank in history.
It is believed that some 2,000 of the Russian military’s tanks were lost in the fighting in Ukraine, while a large number of the particular breed of MBTs had previously been destroyed during the 1991 Gulf War.
Despite the fact that the tank is known for a number of flaws – notably the autoloader that is positioned along with its ordnance storage in the turret – the Soviet-designed T-72 has remained a workhorse MBT around the world.
It has been employed in nearly every major conflict of the past two decades. A true product of traditional Soviet design philosophy, the T-72 first entered production in 1971, and it officially entered service two years later.
It was developed using proven components where possible but also improved the components where required, while it only featured entirely new components when necessary.
The result was a tank that could be described as a far more “evolutionary” than “revolutionary” design.
T-64BV Also Destroyed
A second video shared on Twitter in February also purported to show the destruction of a Ukrainian T-64BV.
The MBT was apparently struck by a Russian man-portable 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) near Vuhledar.
Another video from around the same time, which was also shared on YouTube, suggested that two T-64BV MBTs were destroyed – but the crew members were able to scramble to safety.
The tripod-mounted ATGM first entered service with the Russian Army in 1998 and is considered one of the deadliest anti-tank weapons currently employed around the world.
It has a range of 5.5 kilometers, greatly exceeding the U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin, but the Russian platform is generally considered less advanced in terms of guidance.
Commentators on social media noted that Russia continues to lose far more significant numbers of tanks and that the surviving crews could soon be deployed back to the front to face advanced western tanks coming from NATO.
#Ukraine: A Ukrainian T-72B3 tank was damaged and abandoned after running over anti-tank landmines near Vuhledar, #Donetsk Oblast.
The tank was previously captured from the Russian army and was put in use by Ukrainian forces. pic.twitter.com/OwMu6gGasd
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) February 25, 2023
#Ukraine: A Ukrainian T-64BV tank was destroyed by a Russian ATGM near Vuhledar, #Donetsk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/JDWna35JnK
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) February 25, 2023
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Author Experience and Expertise:
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.