Discover first close tank battle in Ukraine between a Russian T-80BV and Ukrainian T-64BV

On September 29, 2022, The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) released a video on its VK Social Network showing the first close tank combat between Russian T-80BV and Ukrainian T-64BV. Citing information from the Russian MoD, the Ukrainian T-64BV tank was destroyed at a short distance by a Russian T-80BV.
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Russian army T-80BV tank destroys a Ukrainian T-64BV tank during combat operations in Ukraine. (Picture source Video Russian MoD)

According to information published on Internet, most of the Russian tanks were destroyed by Ukrainian soldiers using anti-tank guided missiles and RPGs (Rocket-Propelled Grenades). To date, we have not yet seen real tank combats between the Ukrainian and Russian armies. Today, tanks are no longer used as during the Second World War. In fact, the tank is now used as fire support for the infantry or to perform urban warfare.

Tanks remain an indispensable fighting tool in providing support for the infantry, thanks to their superior firepower, mobility, and ability to operate in any terrain or weather conditions. In the Ukrainian army, the tanks are used to offer fire support for the infantry and to destroy enemy positions.

What are the main differences between Ukrainian T-64BV and the Russian T-80BV:

Ukrainian army T-64BV main battle tank (Picture source Wikimedia)

The T-64 MBT was developed at the Kharkov Transport Machine Plant under the direction of Morozov, and was the first Russian MBT to have a three-man crew. It entered into service with the Russian army in December 1966.

Since its entry into service in 1966, the T-64 tank has undergone many improvements with the T-64A and the T-64B. The T-64A is armed with a 125 mm 2A26M2 smoothbore gun with a thermal sleeve and a modified automatic loader. The tank is equipped with a new fire-control system, a TPD-43D sight for the gunner with an enlarged opening, a bump stop for the fourth road wheel, and 81 mm smoke grenade launchers mounted on either side of the 125 mm 2A26M2 gun.

The T-64BV has a completely new design compared to the original T-64 and is fitted with the Kontakt-1 reactive armor which covers the glacis plate, the forward part of the turret front, sides and roof, and hull sides extending to the five road wheels. It also has a new fire-control system, napalm-resistant defense system, smoke grenade launcher system, quick disconnect system for barrel and breech assemblies, side skirts, and increased suspension travel.

The 125 mm smoothbore 2A26M2 gun of the T-64BV has a sighted range of up to 4,000 m using the day sight and 800 m using the night sight. The maximum effective range of the APFSDS-T round is 2,500 m.

Russian T-80BV main battle tank. (Picture source Vitaly Kuzmin)

The T-80 was a new generation of main battle tanks developed by the Russian defense industry. It was accepted for service with the Russian army in 1976. It was the second MBT in the world to be equipped with a gas turbine engine, after the Swedish Stridsvagn 103, and the first to use it as the main propulsion engine. It also has a crew of three.

The T-80 has the same 125 mm 2A46 smoothbore gun as the T-72 with a horizontal ammunition stowage system. The second armament includes a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun mounted coaxially to the right of the main armament and a 12.7 mm NSVT machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola.

Since 1976 the T-80 MBT has been improved as new technology became available, with the latest versions having a more powerful engine, better armor protection, and a defensive aids suite.

The T-80B is an evolution of the original T-80 which is equipped with the 9K112 Kobra missile system able to fire the 9M112 Kobra (NATO designation AT-8 `Songster') radio-controlled missile, which was also fired by the T-64B MBT. It also had improvements to the computerized fire-control system including the installation of a laser range-finder.

The T-80BV is a further development of the T-80B and is fitted with first-generation Kontakt explosive reactive armor to the hull and turret for improved battlefield survivability. The design and function of the explosive reactive armor is identical to that of the T-64BV MBT. The installation of the explosive reactive armor gave the T-80BV a very high degree of battlefield survivability against anti-tank weapons fitted with a single HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead.