Russian antiquated armour falls prey to Ukrainian drones near Novomykhailivka
Photos and information confirming further losses for the Russians near Novomykhailivka have surfaced online. Among the destroyed equipment, several T-62 tanks were noted. This is further evidence that the very old machines of the invaders do not constitute a significant force on the front and are relatively easy targets.
The photos that appeared on social media come from one of the hottest sections of the front in the Donetsk region. This is the third section (after Avdiivka and Bakhmut) where the Russians have been most active in recent months. Observers of the war in Ukraine quickly analysed the materials and identified what precisely the Russians lost this time.
Russian losses near Novomykhailivka
The Ukrainians managed to destroy the entire column, primarily using drones. This is not surprising given the age of the attacking Russians' equipment. The Ukrainians destroyed at least three T-62 tanks, one unidentified tank, and several BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles.
T-62 tanks are some of the oldest used in the war in Ukraine. These machines were designed back in the 1960s and were not built from scratch but as an upgrade to the T-54 and T-55 series tanks.
The armour was improved, and more powerful armament was introduced in the form of a 115 mm smoothbore gun, but these were impressive features when the T-62 was first introduced into service. Today, they are considered antiques that do not present much value on the battlefield, either offensively or defensively.
The crews of the T-62 tanks are not protected against fire from heavier artillery, nor even against FPV (first-person view) kamikaze drones. As a result, the Russians often try to improvise and mount additional shields in the form of cages and roofs, but these modifications often fail. The drones have built-in cameras that provide the soldiers using them with live, real-time viewing until the moment of impact. For this reason, attacks carried out with their help are usually effective due to the very precise hits.
The BMP-1s also represent outdated equipment from the USSR era. These infantry fighting vehicles were produced from 1966 to 1982 and are equipped with a 73 mm 2A28 Grom gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun.
