Commander-in-Chief of Russian Ground Forces Salyukov reports on use of new Telnik shells by T-90M tanks on Ukraine battlefield.

In the Ukrainian conflict zone, Russian T-90M tanks have been supplied with cutting-edge high-explosive fragmentation shells designed for the elimination of Ukrainian infantry, topwar.ru reports. These advanced munitions, known as "Telnik," belong to the category of shrapnel fragmentation or beam-fragmentation ammunition. Upon detonation in mid-air, they disperse pre-formed submunitions over the target area, effectively neutralizing enemy personnel.
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The multifunctional 3VOF128 "Telnik" projectile is – so far – exclusively supplied to T-90M Proryv tanks in Ukraine, as its deployment necessitates specialized equipment (Picture source: screenshot from topwar.ru)

The multifunctional 3VOF128 "Telnik" projectile is – so far – exclusively supplied to T-90M Proryv tanks in Ukraine, as its deployment necessitates specialized equipment. This comprehensive system comprises a tank ballistic computer meticulously tailored to the unique characteristics and ballistics of the new ammunition, an interface for inputting data into the projectile itself, a docking mechanism, and the 125mm 3VOF128 shell featuring a fragmentation-type warhead designed to explode above its target.

In early 2019, the new projectile was known to have a number of possibilities for options for hitting the target: a gap on approaching the target, a gap directly above the target with its defeat by flying in the form of a cone-shaped body, also several variants of ground-based shock breaks action. Upon detonation, this munition releases 5.4kg of fragments, blanketing the target area in a cone-shaped pattern.

Because of the ability to hit a target with a directional beam (cone) of shrapnel fragments, the projectile was already often called "fragment-beam". An explosion on the trajectory over the target and on approaching the target had become one of the requirements for the developers of ammunition - for the effective defeat of enemy manpower, which is in a certain kind of shelter.

In Ukraine, the "Telnik" projectile has demonstrated a remarkable 6-8 times greater effectiveness against enemy infantry compared to the standard 3OF26 high-explosive fragmentation round. Despite its enhanced capabilities, the "Telnik" projectile maintains the physical dimensions and weight closely resembling that of a conventional ZOF26 high-explosive fragmentation tank round.

Defense News October 2023