The war in Ukraine has decimated Russian President Putin’s mighty tank forces.
Once thought of as one of the most powerful tank corps on the planet, Russian forces have been truly taken to task in Ukraine.
Even the mighty and powerful T-90m tank, considered one of Russia’s most powerful tanks, has seen heavy losses.
What will Putin do next?
Footage Shows Russian Tanks Slaughtered in Ukraine
Two video clips shared online back in early May, show Ukrainian forces taking out several Russian tanks.
In the first clip, shared by the Ukrainian military and reposted to Twitter by a popular war-tracking account, an abandoned tank is seen stationary on the battlefield somewhere in Donetsk Oblast.
The video starts with a slow-motion look at the tank from the perspective of the quickly-approaching loitering munition. The video cuts out upon impact, but footage recorded from different angles shows the moment the strike occurs.
The tank was left in a state of disrepair, engulfed in flames and emitting plumes of thick, black smoke.
The tank eventually explodes, ensuring that it cannot be recovered by Russian troops.
“Near Nevelske, #Donetsk Oblast the Ukrainian 59th Motorized Brigade destroyed with an FPV loitering munition a damaged T-72A tank that Russian troops were attempting to evacuate,” Ukraine Weapons Tracker writes.
“The ammunition on board eventually detonated, completely destroying the tank.”
Putin’s Tanks in Trouble
An additional clip, also from the perspective of a loitering munition, shows the same Ukrainian brigade taking out two additional Russian tanks.
The footage shows three vehicle, one of which appears to have been abandoned in a hedgerow, and others in a field close to the hedge row.
The footage shows the moment that loitering munition takes out a T-80BV tank and a T-72B, both fitting with cages designed to protect the tanks from being destroyed.
“Additional footage from the same place showing two more Russian tanks – T-80BV and T-72B with cope cages – being destroyed by the Ukrainian 59th Motorized Brigade using FPV loitering munitions,” Ukraine Weapons Tracker writes.
Scary Concept: What Is A Cope Cage?
Ahead of the invasion of Ukraine, many Russian tanks were fitted with “cope cages,” a form of cage fitted to the top of tanks designed to protect the machines against Ukraine’s Javelins and other anti-armor weapons.
The cages were also fitted to T-80 tanks that were sent to Crimea in November of 2021, just three months before the invasion began.
Cope cages, also known as “slat armor,” consists of metal slats that are fitted around some of the most important parts of a machine or a vehicle.
The cage disrupts the shaped charge of warheads, sometimes preventing detonation completely or simply offering an extra layer of protection before the warhead reaches the tank’s exterior armor.
#Ukraine: Near Nevelske, #Donetsk Oblast the Ukrainian 59th Motorized Brigade destroyed with an FPV loitering munition a damaged T-72A tank that Russian troops were attempting to evacuate.
The ammunition on board eventually detonated, completely destroying the tank. pic.twitter.com/aAGaW4IKFB
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 26, 2023
This kind of armor has been used on tanks since World War II.
#Ukraine: Additional footage from the same place showing two more Russian tanks – T-80BV and T-72B with cope cages – being destroyed by the Ukrainian 59th Motorized Brigade using FPV loitering munitions.https://t.co/7m2EwzOvEP pic.twitter.com/linZj3rNEv
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 28, 2023
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He 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.
