Armour in Russia's upgraded T-90M tank worth up to $5m begins to come apart after being hit by a shell

Russian servicemen complain about the quality of the upgraded T-90M tanks. In particular, there are questions about the armour.

Here's What We Know

A video and photo of a Russian tank that was hit by an unknown munition has surfaced on social media. The shell hit the left side of the fighting vehicle. The T-90M was not destroyed after the hit, but the armour started to come apart.

According to the published materials, the equipment installed inside the turret was removed. The heavy load on the hull and the surviving armour may indicate that the tank was hit by a high-explosive fragmentation projectile.

The condition of the engine is not specified. According to the source, the T-90M is most likely beyond repair. In such a case the fighting vehicle will be disassembled into spare parts that can be used to repair other tanks.

According to Oryx analysts, the Russian army has lost 22 T-90M units since February 24 last year. One tank was recently hit by a mine in Donetsk oblast, and before that the fighting vehicle was destroyed by artillery. The cost of one T-90M tank ranges from $2.5m to $5m.

Source: Militarny