Ukrainian forces seize Russia's cutting-edge T‑90M Proryv tank

Ukrainians from the 68th Separate Rifle Brigade showcased their new trophy. During recent battles, they captured the Russians' newest and most advanced tank – the T-90M Proryv. In addition to that, they also seized two other vehicles. The soldiers claim that now these trophies will destroy their former owners.

Armies on both sides of the conflict regularly lose machinery on the front lines. In most cases, this is the result of assaults on enemy positions. However, sometimes military equipment is not destroyed but captured by the enemy as a trophy.

Such incidents happen on the front lines regularly – not long ago, the Ukrainians boasted of capturing a Russian T-72B3, one of the best tanks in the Russian arsenal, which was almost intact. At another time, the defender's army seized BTR-82 carriers. There have also been spectacular captures, such as the one in late May this year. Back then, Russians lost their "pride," which Putin himself described as "the best tank in the world" – the T-90M Proryv.

Now, Ukrainians from the 68th Separate Rifle Brigade boast a similar success. Once again, they managed to capture the best machine from the Russian arsenal—the T-90M Proryv—almost intact. Additionally, shortly after, soldiers from the brigade managed to take two more vehicles from the Russians—a T-80 and a BMP-2. According to the soldiers responsible for the operation, now these trophies will ruthlessly destroy their former owners.

How exactly did the capture of the T-90M Proryv in Ukraine happen? The military explains that the Russians fled from the battlefield. "The tank led a charge that ended in complete failure. The T-90 crew left their newest vehicle on the battlefield and fled," according to the group's Facebook page. Later, a Ukrainian driver-mechanic decided to reach the abandoned tank "and returned with it."

Recall that during last year’s studies conducted by Ukrainians, the T-90M Proryv tank was essentially deemed "a failure instead of a breakthrough." This was due to the identification of worn-out parts, the absence of certain elements, etc. Nevertheless, the T-90M remains a machine that poses a real threat to Western weapons used by Ukrainians.

This is primarily because of the 125 mm 2A4M-5 cannon combined with the Kalina fire control system. Additionally, the T-90M can fire 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns at lightly armoured units and enemy infantry.

Relikt reactive armour, which the manufacturer applied to the most vulnerable areas of the hull, mainly ensures the crew's safety inside the tank. As seen in the trophy photos published by Ukrainians, the Russian T-90M is also equipped with some "chains," an additional reinforcement meant to protect the structure from incoming drones. The T-90M Proryv is powered by a 1,000 HP engine that propels the tank to speeds of 70 km/h (43 mph).