Pro-Ukrainian media have just released a clip showing a Russian T-62M tank being destroyed by a Ukrainian drone.
Evidence that the Russian T-62M tank was destroyed has just been released by pro-Kiev media. In the clip, an attack drone drops a small bomb into the cockpit door of the tank.
The bomb exploded causing the tank to burst into flames from within.
The tank was destroyed while standing still, analysts said that it was possible that the Russian crew had abandoned the vehicle at this time, as evidenced by the opening of the compartment door.
That’s why the Ukrainian drone was able to drop a small bomb that hit the cockpit door and got inside the tank.
Russia decided to launch T-62M tanks into the Ukrainian battlefield after the country’s armored forces were severely damaged in the war.
Ukraine said it destroyed more than 1,500 Russian tanks, but Moscow has not commented on this information.
The first T-62Ms appeared in Ukraine on a train bound for Melitopol station in the southwest of the country at the end of May.
The T-62 tank was developed by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s to counter the British FV4201 Chieftain and the American M60 Patton. The last ones were shipped in 1975.
The T-62M version launched in 1983, is a comprehensive upgrade package in terms of defense, maneuverability and fire control for this vehicle.
Compared to the original T-62 tank, the upgraded T-62M includes the integration of the Sheksna laser-guided anti-tank missile complex (NATO calls it AT-12 Swinger), passive armor BDD and communication system. R-173
The main weapon of the T-62M is still a 115mm U-5TS smoothbore cannon with a smoke hood in 2/3 of the barrel, an average rate of fire of 4 rounds/min.
The gun has been upgraded with a aiming system with a Volna fire control system including a KTD-2 laser rangefinder.
It was supplemented with the BV-62 ballistic computer; Meteor-M1 two-axis stabilization system, sight for gunner TShSM-41U.
The additional frontal armor makes the T-62M capable of defending close to the T-64A and T-72 main battle tanks.
Around the front of the turret is added a BDD enhanced armor module that is resistant to anti-tank explosive ammunition.
In addition, a more powerful engine helps the T-62M to maintain the previous maneuverability characteristics of the vehicle, which weighs nearly 4 and a half tons after installing additional armor plates.
The T-62M version is equipped with an improved diesel engine V-55U. Thanks to a more optimized direct injection system, this engine produces 620 horsepower.
Although rated as the most powerful upgraded version of the T-62 medium tank, however, the T-62M is still considered to have significantly lower performance than the T-72B3, T-80BVM and T-90A series.
The main battle tank T-62M, which was withdrawn from the front line by Russia in the late 1990s, was deemed completely obsolete and did not meet the criteria in modern warfare.
After that, Russia only allowed the T-62M tank to operate on a limited basis before being completely decommissioned in 2011 to make way for more modern tanks such as T-72B3, T-80BV, T-80BVM, T -90A and T-90M.
Russia has heavily aided Syria with more than 200 T-62M tanks since 2015.
The thought that the obsolete tank line was only transferred to allies, but now the dire situation in Ukraine makes Russia continue to use this old tank line.
