HIMARS attack on modern T-90M
Fire blast reportedly destroyed Russian tank company
By Janis Peitsch
05/20/2023, 09:19 am
In the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, Moscow’s forces are said to have lost several valuable T-90 tanks. According to a journalist, a reconnaissance drone spotted the modern tracked vehicles. Then Ukrainian artillery is said to have done the rest.
In May last year, a Russian battalion suffered heavy casualties trying to cross the Seversky Donets River in eastern Ukraine. Artillery fire from the 17th Ukrainian tank brigade destroyed the pontoon bridge and more than 35 vehicles. Now, a year later, Kiev’s armed forces appear to have achieved a similar success.
Ukrainian war correspondent Andrei Tsaplienko released two drone images on his on Friday Telegram channel, showing several tanks. “A company of Russian T-90 tanks, up to ten units, were reportedly destroyed by a HIMARS hit during the night,” Tsaplienko wrote along with the footage. The tanks were spotted by a Poseidon reconnaissance drone in the Petrovsky district of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. “They were probably intended to take part in an attack on nearby Marjinka.”
The extent of the damage to the tanks cannot be estimated from the photos. It is also unclear when the recordings were made and which Ukrainian unit is responsible for them. According to the RTL/ntv verification team, the images actually show the Petrovsky district. The place of the recordings is about eight kilometers east of Marjinka. Judging by the vegetation, a recent photo date seems likely.
The Russian daily newspaper Izvestia reported earlier this year on heavy fighting around Marjinka, in which T-90M Proryw main battle tanks were also involved. According to the newspaper, which is loyal to the government, the use of modern tracked vehicles has “significantly improved” the situation of the attacking units. Marjinka has been a frontline town since 2014 and has been largely destroyed. The Russian troops have not yet succeeded in completely conquering the city.
Introduced to the Russian Armed Forces in 1992, the T-90 is descended from the T-72. The further developed M variant Proryw is the most modern version, which was only put into service three years ago, and series production has been running since 2021. The tank has a radar-absorbing protective shell, and its main weapon is a 125 mm smoothbore cannon, which is also used in the T-14 Armata. According to the Dutch portal oryx Since the beginning of the war, Ukrainian forces have destroyed, badly damaged or captured more than 60 T-90 tanks.