Russian tank survives being hit by two Ukrainian missiles

Video from a drone shows a Russian T-72B3 tank damaged by two Ukrainian guided missiles, but still crawling away from the battlefield.

The BTR80 Telegram account, which specializes in posting documents about Russian armored forces fighting in Ukraine, shared on June 3 a video of a Russian T-72B3 tank being hit by a Ukrainian Stugna anti-tank guided missile but still surviving and moving away from the battlefield. The time and location of the recording were not disclosed.

"The tank crew had fired all the ammunition on board and was preparing to move to the rear to reload," the account described the situation leading up to the incident.

Russian tank survives after being hit by two Ukrainian missiles — A Russian T-72B3 tank survives being hit by two Ukrainian Stugna missiles in a video posted on June 3. Video: *Telegram/BTR80*

In the video taken from the drone, the T-72B3 was turning in place to change direction and maneuver away from the battlefield when it was hit by a Stugna missile. Fire broke out on the right side, but the T-72B3 continued to move away from the area.

In the next shot, the Russian tank moves at high speed with its turret facing forward, indicating that the gunner appears to still be in control of the vehicle. The T-72B3 is then hit in the left flank by another Stugna missile, but continues to maneuver and steer away from the battlefield, following the road.

"Two anti-tank missiles could not stop the vehicle. The crew sends greetings to the Ukrainian soldiers and hopes to see them again soon," wrote the BTR80 account.

It is unclear how many casualties the crew suffered after the incident. The Russian Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian military have not commented on the video.

Stugna is a line of anti-tank guided missiles put into service by Ukraine since 2011, including 130 mm and 152 mm versions, using laser beam tracking guidance and reaching a maximum range of 5.5 km. This is considered one of the most powerful anti-tank weapons in service in this country.

The 130 mm Stugna variant is equipped with the RK-2S dual-charge armor-piercing shaped-charge warhead, which is capable of destroying reactive armor and penetrating armor equivalent to 800 mm of rolled homogeneous steel (RHA). The 152 mm version is equipped with the more powerful RK-2M-K warhead, which is capable of destroying reactive armor and penetrating armor equivalent to 1,100 mm of RHA.

Ukraine's Stugna missile complex. Photo: Military Leak. — Ukraine's Stugna missile complex. Photo: *Military Leak* .

An anonymous source in the Russian defense industry revealed in March that Russian tanks fighting in Ukraine had been equipped with explosive reactive armor to increase their survivability. "The bulletproofing on the rear flanks is almost equal to the front of the tank," the source said, adding that the explosive reactive armor had been installed on T-72B, T-72B3, T-80 and T-90M tanks.

This type of reactive armor is easy to install, allowing engineering battalions to directly upgrade tanks on the Ukrainian frontline, instead of sending them back to the rear for repair. The upgrade package is applied in the context of Russian tanks facing many threats on the Ukrainian battlefield, such as anti-tank guided missiles, UAVs and Western main battle tanks.

Vu Anh (According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta )

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