Ukrainian troops turn tables with captured Russian T‑90S tank
A video has surfaced online showing Ukrainian soldiers using a tank captured from the Russians. It is a rare and valuable T-90S. Moscow originally did not plan to send this type of machine to the front and does not have many units. Here's an explanation of what this equipment is.
The T-90S is part of the popular Russian family of main battle tanks, but unlike the T-90 or the latest T-90M, it does not often appear in reports from the front. This is because the T-90S is manufactured for export.
India is its main buyer, and according to some analysts and observers of the ongoing conflict, the units sent to Ukraine are only a dozen or several dozen units that were not accepted by the customer (in this case, India) due to identified flaws or non-compliance with the order. Considering the significant losses (Ukrainians had already eliminated over 3,500 tanks of the invaders), Moscow decided to reinforce its troops even with returned T-90S tanks.
T-90S captured by Ukrainians
The video was posted on X by the official account managed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, leaving no doubt about its authenticity. In this case, Ukrainian soldiers show the interior of the captured tank. The footage suggests it was taken over in good technical condition and will be operational.
The T-90S is a tank with considerable capabilities
In terms of technical specifications, the T-90S is very similar to other tanks in this family. It does not have the TszU-1 Shtora-1 electro-optical self-defence system, but instead, Russian designers have provided more space for reactive armour.
Like the T-90 and T-90M, the T-90S is equipped with a 2A46M-3 smoothbore gun with a calibre of 125 mm, and machine guns with calibres of 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm. It is significantly better compared to most older tanks used by the Russian army. It includes, among other features, an advanced fire control system. It is also equipped with an engine with a power of 1,000 horsepower. The weight of this tank is about 46,000 kg.
It is estimated that the price of one T-90M unit is about 4.5 million CAD. The value of the T-90S may be similar.
