T‑64 tanks reinforce Ukrainian advance in Kursk with modern upgrades

The fighting in the Kursk region continues unabated, with formations equipped with tanks joining light units. Here is what has entered Russia.

After capturing about 11 towns and penetrating approximately 14 kilometres into the Kursk region, heavier units equipped with tanks are beginning to move in.

The video below shows a T-64BW tank, a vehicle based on the M113 transporter chassis, which could be a YPR-765 infantry fighting vehicle or an AIFV-B-C25 from the Netherlands or Belgium, a UR-77 Meteorit, and a BTR-80 wheeled transporter. All these vehicles feature a comprehensive bar armor package and anti-drone nets.

The T-64 tanks, developed in the 1960s, were characterized by modernity and visionary design but proved too complex for production and maintenance in the Soviet Union. As a result, the simpler and cheaper T-72 was developed. It is worth noting that T-64 tanks served alongside them in the USSR but were never exported.

After the fall of the USSR, T-64 tanks became the main force of the Ukrainian armoured troops because the Malyshev Factory, which produced them, was located in Kharkiv. Meanwhile, the Russians focused on developing locally produced T-72 family machines.

Over the decades, T-64 tanks have undergone numerous upgrades, starting with the BW, completed in the 1980s during the USSR era, to Ukrainian T-64BM Bulat, T-64BW 2017, T-64BM2 Bulat, and T-64BW 2022 with support from Poland and the Czech Republic.

All variants of Ukrainian upgrades of these machines include advanced reactive armour, "Knife," which surpasses older models of reactive armour like Kontakt-1 and Kontakt-5. "Knife" uses shaped charges instead of traditional explosives, effectively protecting against single-shaped charge warheads and kinetic APFSDS-T penetrators. When hitting the reactive armour at the proper point, the latter can be cut to pieces.

Since 2017, T-64 tanks have been equipped with a modern fire control system with a thermal camera, giving them an advantage in detecting and eliminating targets compared to all T-72 tank models below the B3 version. It's also worth noting that in Ukraine, most T-64 tank crews are veterans with extensive combat experience, allowing them to win engagements with newer T-72B3/B3M, for example.