Russian forces suffer significant tank losses in Kurakhove strike
Journalists from the American "Forbes" have drawn attention to one of the latest attacks carried out by the Russians against Ukrainian forces in the city of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region. During the strike, the aggressor army lost equipment that is becoming increasingly valuable for Moscow.
Social media regularly features recordings showing the latest losses on either the Russian or Ukrainian sides. For the former, the damages usually involve older machines that the invaders have in their arsenal. However, sometimes these are also vehicles exceptionally important for the aggressor army due to their offensive capabilities or their limited quantity – this was also the case in the aforementioned city of Kurakhove.
A valuable loss for the Russians
As Forbes notes, during one attack in the Donetsk region, the Russians lost three T-72B3 tanks. The 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is responsible for their destruction. All the destroyed vehicles were equipped with the latest technology—anti-drone mesh armour, radio locators, and mine-clearing rollers. Why is it a valuable loss?
Forbes emphasizes that the loss of each T-72B3 is a severe blow to the Russian defence industry because the sector cannot cover current losses. For this reason, the Kremlin has decided to remove the oldest operational units from storage—including T-54, T-55, and T-60—and send them to the front.
One of the best in the arsenal
The T-72B3 is considered one of the best tanks currently in the Russian armed forces. It is a modernization of the T-72B conducted since 2011, with improvements primarily in optoelectronics and the capability to use new types of ammunition, i.e., the Sweciec family projectiles with a longer penetrator.
The T-72B3 is equipped with the Catherine-FC fire control system. With stabilization ensuring greater accuracy, the machine's smoothbore gun 2A45M-5 is responsible for shelling enemy positions. However, the weapon upgrades contributed to a reduction in armour thickness. This reduction is due to the necessity of creating space for the autoloader from the inside, which directly weakened the T-72B3's armour.
