Nato has nothing to fear from Russia's 'indestructible' tanks

The T90 was described as “indestructible” by Moscow. Yet despite Putin’s boasts, compared to Western weaponry it is simply another sitting target. Why, one wonders, do we continue to fear the Russian bear? It’s as if the humiliation they have suffered in Ukraine has been completely ignored by Western observers. The idea that Russia would be able to fight Nato, as reported today, is laughable – they cannot even defeat one army, let alone dozens. 

But back to tanks. The holy trinity of tank design is based on firepower, protection and mobility. Russian focus, suffice to say, is on mobility and firepower. Protection is poor because it’s heavy and expensive and they don’t seem to care too much about their soldiers. So many Russian tanks blow up because the ammunition is not protected as in, say, a Challenger 2.  As far as I know, nobody has been killed in Ukraine in a Challenger 2 or Abrams tank, but there are almost always casualties when Russian tanks are hit.  

This specific action shows a T90 crew completely isolated, with no mutual support from another tank. They do not seem to have a clue about manoeuvre, inching into what we ‘tankies’ call the “killing zone”. It suggests to me the Russians have run out of experienced tank crews. As a tank commander for 23 years, I can say with confidence that it takes at least 12 months to properly train a tank crew – no wonder they are running short.

There is a lot of pessimism regarding Kyiv’s prospects at the moment, but footage such as this should serve as a reminder that Ukraine is still a highly capable fighting force compared to the Russians. And this year will also see significant deliveries to Ukraine which will afford yet more opportunities. For effective ground manoeuvre you need air superiority – tanks are most vulnerable from the air from attack helicopters and fighters. Slowly, Ukraine appears set to gain that superiority over the coming months, with the destruction of Russia’s £274m A-50 command and control aircraft this week a sign they wish to make that a priority as Kyiv prepares for the delivery of F-16s. Once Ukraine achieves something resembling air superiority, they will, for the first time, have freedom of manoeuvre, able to operate unhindered by Russian aircraft.

If Europe empties its tank sheds of unused weapons and gives Kyiv enough ammunition, I still remain convinced Ukraine’s armour can take Crimea and the Donbas. Doing so would humble Russia and prevent any escalation of the conflict.

We have never been closer to nuclear war in modern times. Iran is trying to ignite the Arabian peninsula – encouraged by Putin, no doubt – and China is waiting to strike at the first signs of Western weakness.  The best way to turn the clock back is for the West to enable Ukraine to vanquish the Russian invasion by arming it to the teeth. 

In that, this video should serve as the perfect metaphor of what remains possible.

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is former Commanding Officer of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment. He is a regular contributor on our daily podcast, ‘Ukraine: The Latest’.