Russian T‑90M tanks seen near NATO borders: intel from Ukrainian partisans

The Ukrainian partisan group Atesz has observed the transport of the latest Russian T-90M Proryv tanks in St. Petersburg. This is an unusual sight in this location, especially considering that St. Petersburg is nearer to the NATO borders in Estonia than to the front in Ukraine.

The Atesz partisan group has often provided valuable intelligence to Ukrainians about Russian movements. Recently, the resistance movement uncovered the Pantsir-S1 air defence system guarding Putin's residence in Sochi. On another occasion, the Atesz group reported increasing issues within the Russian Federation's defence industry, attributed to severe sanctions imposed by the West.

Now the partisans report spotting a valuable transport for the Russians of T-90M Proryv tanks in St. Petersburg, about 150 kilometres from the nearest border with Estonia and Finland. The footage shows a column of at least 10 vehicles belonging to the Russians.

The most notable aspect, however, is the location where the latest machines were seen. After all, St. Petersburg is not actively engaged in the war in Ukraine—it is relatively far from the border with the defending nation. In a straight line, it is over 800 kilometres.

However, the Atesz movement points out that the T-90M Proryv tanks were transported from Sertolovo, just a few miles from St. Petersburg. There is a training ground where the Russian Federation trains new soldiers.

"Another batch of Russian armoured vehicles will soon turn into a pile of rusty scrap, as it has before," writes a representative of the Atesz group on the X platform. The tanks were, therefore, used for training near St. Petersburg, from where they are likely to be sent along with new crews to the front soon.

It is worth noting that the Russian Federation's army has been using the T-90M Proryv tanks since 2021. They are the latest models from the T-90 family, which entered service in the early 1990s.

These units, sometimes called "Putin's pride," are equipped with a 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannon featuring an updated fire control system compared to its predecessors. The crew also has access to two machine guns, one 7.62 mm and another 12.7 mm.

The Relikt reactive armour provides the defensive capabilities of the T-90M Proryv. At the same time, mobility is ensured by a power unit generating 1,000 horsepower, accelerating the tank to a speed of about 65 kilometres per hour. A single T-90M Proryv is estimated to be around £3.5 million.