Destruction of Russian 'turtle tank' marks a win for Ukraine
Popular "turtle tanks" have been appearing regularly on the front lines in Ukraine for several months. Kamikaze drones, for which these massive constructions are excellent targets, also appear regularly. Ukrainians are boasting about destroying one of them—and there's reason to boast, as the Russian equipment essentially shattered into pieces upon impact.
31 July 2024 17:58
For a long time, turtle tanks remained an elusive target for Ukrainians. Although these tanks, covered with gigantic plates and usually hiding electronic jammers within their massive construction, have been on the front lines since April of this year, they were initially dismissed due to their unusual appearance. In reality, "turtles" proved to be useful weapons.
Despite being mocked by internet users, Rob Lee, an expert from the United States, pointed out that, in fact, the turtle tank fulfills its function, as evidenced by the fact that the defending army could not capture or destroy this machine for a long time.
Ukrainians now know how to fight "turtles"
Eventually, Ukrainians found a way to destroy these vehicles, and the results did not take long to appear. Social media quickly filled with materials showing a turtle tank seized from Russians, which was thoroughly examined by the defending army.
Now, another recording showing the destruction of a "turtle" by Ukrainians is hitting the internet. And it's not just any destruction; it features an incredibly spectacular explosion during which the tank essentially disintegrated. A kamikaze drone carried out an effective strike that hit the construction with excellent precision.
Spectacular explosion of Russian equipment
The attack had to be immediately targeted at the right spot to cause the explosion. The video shows the turtle tank exploding, scattering countless components of the massive tank-mounted construction and (most likely) items belonging to soldiers under the additional plates. In this case, there is no question of the "turtle" being in any condition to be captured by Ukrainians. The vehicle was destroyed.
Remember that such machines are valuable targets for Ukrainians on the front lines due to their surprisingly large capabilities, as previously mentioned by the US expert Rob Lee. He emphasized that "sacrificing observation and turret rotation in one tank for the benefit of a platoon that can simultaneously jam many drones makes sense." And that's essentially what the Russians did with the turtle tank. The vehicle is used as one of many pieces of equipment in a platoon, providing a "shield" against all unmanned aerial vehicles coming from the air.
The signal jammers placed in the "turtles" work by creating a sort of "bubble" at a smaller or larger distance from the tank, in which drones cannot communicate with their pilots. Consequently, when an aircraft enters such a zone, it immediately crashes to the ground or returns to its launch point.