How many modern T-90M tanks did Russia lose? The Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy Russia’s most advanced T-90M tank (video)

The Russian army lost more than 20 T-90M tanks. Recently, a video of the destruction of another fighting vehicle was published.

According to Oryx, an open source intelligence website, the Russian military has lost 21 T-90M tanks since February 24 last year. The Armed Forces of Ukraine also captured several of these combat vehicles. The video below shows how one of the tanks was destroyed by the 45th Artillery Brigade.

#Ukraine: A Russian T-90M tank was destroyed by artillery fire of the Ukrainian 45th Artillery Brigade somewhere in #Luhansk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/tM7HmtTG3e

— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 2, 2023

T-90M is an upgraded Russian tank. Ukrainian experts studied one of the captured combat vehicles and concluded that it was just an improved version of the T-72B.

The tank entered service in 2020. It is equipped with the V-92C2F propulsion system with more than 1,100 horsepower. The engine is an improved version of the B-2 of 1937, which was installed on the T-34 of the Second World War. The T-90M costs between $2.5 and $5 million.

T-90M Proryv “Breakthrough” tanks

The modernized T-90M has become the main battle tank in the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Alexei Maslov, a special representative of UralVagonZavod (or UVZ, a subsidiary of Russia’s state corporation Rostec) for military-technical cooperation, told TASS.

Maslov said: “We have already prepared a T-90MS tank (an export version of the T-90M tank) for a foreign customer; We have tested and carried out research and development work. So what did we get? T-90M: The T-90M Proryv is likely to become the main tank in the Russian Armed Forces.

According to him, the T-90M has much better combat effectiveness than its predecessor, while the modular configuration will make it possible to improve the characteristics of the tank during subsequent modernizations. “The T-90M guarantees parity with future foreign tanks,” General Maslov said.

The Russian Defense Ministry and UVZ signed a contract for the delivery of significantly upgraded T-90M tanks at the Army Forum 2017. Earlier reports said that the first several dozen tanks were expected to be delivered to Russian forces in 2019.

According to him, the T-90M has much better combat effectiveness than its predecessor, while the modular configuration will make it possible to improve the characteristics of the tank during subsequent modernizations. “The T-90M guarantees parity with future foreign tanks,” General Maslov said.

The Russian Defense Ministry and UVZ signed a contract for the delivery of significantly upgraded T-90M tanks at the Army Forum 2017. Earlier reports said that the first several dozen tanks were expected to be delivered to Russian forces in 2019.

The Ural Transport Machine-Building Design Bureau (part of the defense manufacturer Uralvagonzavod) has developed the T-90M main battle tank.

The Proryv is the most advanced armored vehicle in the T-90 tank family due to its comprehensive protection, highly automated 24/7 fire control system and improved survivability technology. According to its manufacturers, it is mainly suitable for operations on the modern battlefield.

Data from Uralvagonzavod indicates that the T-90M has undergone a multi-level upgrade and can be referred to as a new combat vehicle. The T-90M was first tested during the Zapad-2017 military exercise in September 2017.

It now boasts a completely new turret, different from the compact serial-production combat unit, and a more powerful 1130-horsepower engine. “Proryv” is equipped with a 125 mm cannon that can fire modern powerful shells and missiles that can destroy enemy tanks at a distance of up to five kilometers.

Thanks to the new multi-channel periscope, the tank can use its weapons day or night. One of the main advantages of this upgraded tank is real-time data exchange with other combat vehicles.

The anti-skid coating on the armor of the T-90M is similar to the coating on the leading T-14 “Armata” main battle tank. The new Relikt ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) armor is installed on the tank in the front and on each side of the turret.

The Proryv has a similar layout to earlier T-90s, with the driver’s cabin in front, the turret in the middle of the hull, and the engine in the rear. Its 1000mm 12-cylinder engine gives it the ability to travel at 50kph on rough roads and 60kph on roads.

In the spring of 2020, the 2nd Guards MI Kalinin Taman Motor Rifle Division, a division of the 1st Guards Tank Army in the Western Military District, began receiving its first T-90M tanks. According to estimates, there may have been 100 or so copies of it when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

Given the tank’s advanced features, impeccable armor protection, and many upgrades, it is not surprising that Russia continues to deploy the T-90M Proryv despite the battlefield risks associated with its deployment.