Ukrainian troops destroy first modernized Russian T-62MV tank
On May 26, 2023, the "Ukraine Weapons Tracker" Twitter account published a video indicating that Ukrainian soldiers from the 79th Air Assault Brigade have destroyed the first Russian modernized T-62MV Main Battle Tank (MBT) near Marinka, Donetsk Oblast.
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Image Capture: Ukrainian 79th Air Assault Brigade Takes Down Russian T-62MV Tank Near Marinka, Donetsk Oblast. (Picture source Video Footage Ukraine Weapons Tracker Twitter)
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian armed forces have reportedly lost approximately 1980 tanks, mainly those of the latest generations. In order to make up for these losses, Russia has decided to open its warehouses to deploy tanks dating from the 1960s, such as the T-55 and T-62.
Recently, we reported the deployment of modernized T-62MV tanks by the Russian armed forces, designed to counter the new threats on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The T-62MV is a modernized version of the T-62, a main battle tank that was originally produced in the Soviet Union. The T-62 was first produced in the 1960s as an upgrade to the T-55 tank, featuring a smoothbore gun capable of firing APFSDS rounds, which was something new at the time. The tank was used by the Soviet Union and several other countries during the Cold War.
The T-62MV is an upgrade to the original T-62, with significant improvements made to its armor and firepower. The most obvious change is the addition of "Kontakt-1" explosive reactive armor (ERA). An ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) is a type of armor that reacts to the impact of an anti-tank weapon by exploding in a way that disrupts the weapon's penetrative abilities. This makes the tank more resistant to modern anti-tank weapons.
The T-62MV also received an upgrade to its main gun, with the addition of a stabilizer to improve firing accuracy while the tank is moving. The T-62MV retains the 115mm smoothbore gun of the original T-62, but it can also fire anti-tank guided missiles in addition to standard tank rounds.
The T-62MV tank is motorized with a new V-55-5 V-12 water-cooled diesel with an injection pump fuel system, pressure lubricated, developing 580 hp at 2,000 rpm. The tank is able to reach a maximum road speed of 50 km/h in forward speed and 7 km/h in reverse. It has a maximum cruising range of 450 km.
Like other tanks of its era, the T-62MV has limitations in terms of mobility, protection, and firepower when compared with modern main battle tanks. However, the addition of ERA and a stabilizer for its main gun did provide a significant increase in capability over the original T-62 design.
Russian T-62MV Main Battle Tank. (Picture source Vitaly Kuzmin)