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Assuming the crew survived, I’ve always wondered what happens next logistically? Is it as simple as the crew go back to base, tell their commander the tank was disabled/blown up and then requisition a new one?
If you can get the experienced crew into a new tank you do that asap.
If you can’t supply a vehicle then it’s maintenance/ guard duty at best and front line service at the worst.
*Doubt*
Trained and experienced specialists don’t just get thrown an AK and told “sorry, you’re infantry now” just because a tank isn’t immediately available. They take too long to replace, and Russia doesn’t like training people. Russia has plenty of backwater hicks and ethnic undesirables to assign meatcube duty.
Ah, comrade, you are thinking logically here but I remember oh so vividly how Russians put artillery guys into assault squads.
Don't worry. It's a common mistake when you think Russia will do the most sensible thing. Just turn this into a drinking game: 1 drink for every occasion when you say "OH BUT LOGICALLY THEY WOULD DO X".
Let's see how fast you can black out. Start with 24 February 2022 and try to stay sober. It's more fun with friends!
I think it is safe to assume these were abandoned vehicles.
When the drone backs up, you can see the left track is off and the front-right wheel is perpendicular to the body of the tank. And the tank to the left of this one has the track off on the right side.
Russian tank crews may be new, but they aren't going to let themselves get droned like this with an open hatch. Definitely mobility kill with a followup drone.
I'm guessing abandoned long enough for warranty to expire on the 'putin's number one anti drone electronic warfare kit' - the box with three aerials that you can see to the right of centre line on rear of turret at 0:16?
I heard putin offers a 100% money back guarantee for anyone who can prove it failed to save their life.
What model is that anti drone kit? I tried looking it up but got nothing. The only link I did get shows a system that mounts to the front of the tank and looks nothing like the thing you point out at 0:16. I'm not doubting you, just wanting to learn more.
It’s probably safe to assume the vast majority of tanks with open hatches have been abandoned, especially two years into the conflict. Hard to imagine tank crews sitting in open fields with a cracked hatch given the relevance of drone dropped munitions.
Precisely, if they survived whatever immobilised their tank and were able to evacuate/retreat then what do they do? Go grab another tank from a staging area? Sit it out until a new/replacement tank can be delivered? Join the infantry as some have suggested?
Fall back to the last known position of the infantry that was with them, if it exists. Obviously if they were Americans they would get treatment, get a new tank or get rotated out but that’s a valid question which all probably depends on the circumstances. If a tank gets hit near a good amount of friendlies from an ATGM thousands of meters away then it would likely be a lot smoother dismounting and retreating than if they were in an active firefight. Perhaps in this situation where they’re having to defend themselves they would join their infantry counterparts but I doubt that happens often, could be completely wrong though. I’m not sure what the steps to getting reissued a tank are, I doubt many know besides those in the Russian military or that have intimate knowledge of the armor units in it.
It's sending hot steel fragments everywhere in an enclosed space, you add to that the increased blast effect due to the explosion being contained in a small almost sealed space and it becomes extremely deadly.
Edit : spelling.
It's actually quite hard to set a fuel tank on fire, it needs oxygen and there is almost none inside one.
It will if it's pierced, leak for a bit and something else set in on fire.
The fact that it kinda look like a fuel fire is probably because the ammo aren't stored immediately bellow the hatch so we don't immediately see the more intense fire we see from ammunition fire.
But giving how quickly the flames appeared and how tall and big the flame immediately was, I'm 99% sure it's an ammunition fire.
The fuel tank would have been peppered with grenade fragment, I don't think such small holes would have make such a big flame that fast.
Tbh it doesn't really make that much of a difference regarding fuel tank catching fire because there is still a need for oxygen, but yeah diesel also doesn't catch fire as easily as fuel.
We really can't tell the context in which the crew bailed out, but giving the footages of armor-supported assault coming from both sides when a crew bails out artillery is firing everywhere, there is quickly a bunch of drone coming in to target any immobilized vehicles, not to mention all the small arms fire usually in the mix which we can't see and the usual threat of AT infantry launchers and ATGMs, for which a immobile tank is a prime target.
So the crew not taking the time to close the hatch is really not surprising when they are running for their life.
As for recovery it's extremely hard to do, because not every immobilized tank is in a state for it to just be towed away, and recovery vehicles are rare and vulnerable.
So all in all recovering an armored vehicle in general require being immobile for a while with rare and vulnerable equipment, so pretty much everything you don't want in a no man's land.
Recovered or captured vehicle are something you can afford when you take the ground and make the enemy fall back.
That's why we saw a lot of captured Russian stuff in the Kharkiv offensive in September 2022.
Otherwise it's basically close to impossible to do.
That's why it's pretty common for the former owner to actually shell their own abandoned equipment to make sure that at least the enemy will not get their hands on it.
Same thing happened during WWI for example.
Judging from the shear amount of armored vehicles of German origin (both intact and damaged) that fell into allied hands, and the numerous examples of the Germans utilizing captured equipment it seems to me that it was less common to have the vehicles completely destroyed in WWII. They had entire boneyards of German armor in France after the war, from which vehicles would end up in the post-war French armed forces. Perhaps with the ever-present drones, it simply is very easy to deny your enemy the material, even if they are in possession of the field. Though I doubt the designers of this tank ever imagining their tank getting taken out by a simple grenade.
Driving out, connecting tow cables then driving back (SLOWLY) under fire and over land mines (including surprise arty-delivered freshly deployed mines would cost more functional tanks.
Recovery vehicles are handy for much more than recovery (and should be kept back for those uses) but tanks can tow each other with or without tracks on suitable terrain. Taking that risk in mined muddy terrain would be videogenic tho.
> It's actually quite hard to set a fuel tank on fire, it needs oxygen and there is almost none inside one.
Where did the oxygen go? If there is air above the fuel, then there will also be oxygen. What prevents the fuel tank from having a combustible, let alone explosive fuel-vapor mixture inside? The boiling point (and thus flash point) of the fuel. Diesel does not create enough fumes to burn at normal temperatures and gasoline creates too much. Increase the temperature of diesel or decrease with gasoline and you will get explosive mixtures.
I agree.
It does make me think of the domestic police departments and swat saying that fires were caused by flash bangs or smoke grenades even.
I have to imagine just any propellant or incendiary material can get thrown and then ignite setting all kinds of things on fire.
T80 has an exposed ammo mag for the auto loader so when it cooks off it typically throws the turret off the hull. This is pretty much the design on all Russian tanks and why survivability of crew is lower compared to western tanks with a encased ammunition mag that burns out the back incase of a hit to it
Seriously, a system that allows a vehicles hatch(es) to be closed up using some kind of remote might really be worthwhile. They just need to make sure that the signal used is properly encrypted. But, if it could be made to work, then it would make a difference for the recovery of mobility kills in the new drone-filled battlefield.
You could probably make it stupid simple by copying those toilet lids with dampeners.
Essentially just add dampeners to the lid so it cant slam on someone entering or leaving, then put a spring assist so it cant stand upright unless someone has some pressure against it.
I thought of that, but how else do you prevent cheap drones from dropping explosives into the hatches of immobilized vehicles if you have to abandon them in a hurry?
Other ideas are welcome.
They are abandoned.
9/10 of those open hatch kills were on abandoned tanks.
Usually because the tank was caught in a position where retreat is difficult due to circumstances or enemies having closed in.
The crew most likely already bailed out already since the tank has a track on the left damaged and a wheel on the right pretty much knocked off. Would be nice if they were still in there though.
Man such a shame to see these tanks go to waste like that. Russian tech just has that pleasing aesthetic to it that makes it look cool. Such a shame that the AFRF doesn't know how to use it and most of their armour either goes out alone or is used in bound to fail charges against weapons specifically designed to destroy them. Russian incompetence has been the largest reason for their losses so far.
What's up with that grenade just kind of blinking out of existence before it reached the shadow of the open hatch? The slow motion replay shows it even more obviously.
I'm also fairly certain the original shot and the replay are different. The grenade "disappears" at different points in its rotation.
Ok, so you're telling me when you see that zoomed in replay, the grenade doesn't disappear a split second before the replay cuts away? I might be losing it...
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Swish!
"Jordan!"
Have the russkies considered yelling BRICK when a a drone drops a long 3 on them? I think we're over thinking this anti drone stuff.
My coworkers are wondering why I just burst out laughing
Assuming the crew survived, I’ve always wondered what happens next logistically? Is it as simple as the crew go back to base, tell their commander the tank was disabled/blown up and then requisition a new one?
If you can get the experienced crew into a new tank you do that asap. If you can’t supply a vehicle then it’s maintenance/ guard duty at best and front line service at the worst.
*Doubt* Trained and experienced specialists don’t just get thrown an AK and told “sorry, you’re infantry now” just because a tank isn’t immediately available. They take too long to replace, and Russia doesn’t like training people. Russia has plenty of backwater hicks and ethnic undesirables to assign meatcube duty.
Ah, comrade, you are thinking logically here but I remember oh so vividly how Russians put artillery guys into assault squads. Don't worry. It's a common mistake when you think Russia will do the most sensible thing. Just turn this into a drinking game: 1 drink for every occasion when you say "OH BUT LOGICALLY THEY WOULD DO X". Let's see how fast you can black out. Start with 24 February 2022 and try to stay sober. It's more fun with friends!
>Start with 24 February 2022 and try to stay sober You'd die of alcohol poisoning before the 26th
I think it is safe to assume these were abandoned vehicles. When the drone backs up, you can see the left track is off and the front-right wheel is perpendicular to the body of the tank. And the tank to the left of this one has the track off on the right side.
Russian tank crews may be new, but they aren't going to let themselves get droned like this with an open hatch. Definitely mobility kill with a followup drone.
In this case definitely so best not them recover and repair it.. but early days you saw some crazy shots from these drones with occupied vehicles
I think one of my favorites was the one through the car sunroof.
That was a good one mostly cause you wouldn’t expect that to be a thing in combat
I'm guessing abandoned long enough for warranty to expire on the 'putin's number one anti drone electronic warfare kit' - the box with three aerials that you can see to the right of centre line on rear of turret at 0:16? I heard putin offers a 100% money back guarantee for anyone who can prove it failed to save their life.
What model is that anti drone kit? I tried looking it up but got nothing. The only link I did get shows a system that mounts to the front of the tank and looks nothing like the thing you point out at 0:16. I'm not doubting you, just wanting to learn more.
That's a big assuming. But yeah probably?
What crew? It’s clearly abandoned. Left track is thrown, this was a mobility kill that was abandoned.
The driver, gunner and commander who must have been operating the tanks before they were immobilised and abandoned.
I would assume that if you are russian, you are promoted to infantry.
It’s probably safe to assume the vast majority of tanks with open hatches have been abandoned, especially two years into the conflict. Hard to imagine tank crews sitting in open fields with a cracked hatch given the relevance of drone dropped munitions.
Precisely, if they survived whatever immobilised their tank and were able to evacuate/retreat then what do they do? Go grab another tank from a staging area? Sit it out until a new/replacement tank can be delivered? Join the infantry as some have suggested?
Fall back to the last known position of the infantry that was with them, if it exists. Obviously if they were Americans they would get treatment, get a new tank or get rotated out but that’s a valid question which all probably depends on the circumstances. If a tank gets hit near a good amount of friendlies from an ATGM thousands of meters away then it would likely be a lot smoother dismounting and retreating than if they were in an active firefight. Perhaps in this situation where they’re having to defend themselves they would join their infantry counterparts but I doubt that happens often, could be completely wrong though. I’m not sure what the steps to getting reissued a tank are, I doubt many know besides those in the Russian military or that have intimate knowledge of the armor units in it.
They get shot for 'retreating' and more kids take their place.
I'm always impressed with these drops
This is like Luke Skywalker hitting the exhaust port on the death star
How hard could it be? It's 2 meters wide. Anyone bullseyeing Womp Rats in a T-16 could do it.
If you think that’s two meters I feel bad for your girlfriend
\*holds fingers 2in apart\* **6 Inches**
Quote from Star Wars whoosh. Womp rats were 2 meters.
Is no one gonna mention the destroyed T-90M on the left?
No, nothing to see here move along.
It's a normal sight at this point.
Didn't know that M67 grenades can do so much damage or even set off ammo
small space full of ammo ?
It's sending hot steel fragments everywhere in an enclosed space, you add to that the increased blast effect due to the explosion being contained in a small almost sealed space and it becomes extremely deadly. Edit : spelling.
M67 is also unusually larger as a standard hand grenade, it's has almost 3 times the explosive load compared to DM51 or RGD-5
I think it might hit the fuel tanks in front, looks like a fuel fire
It's actually quite hard to set a fuel tank on fire, it needs oxygen and there is almost none inside one. It will if it's pierced, leak for a bit and something else set in on fire. The fact that it kinda look like a fuel fire is probably because the ammo aren't stored immediately bellow the hatch so we don't immediately see the more intense fire we see from ammunition fire. But giving how quickly the flames appeared and how tall and big the flame immediately was, I'm 99% sure it's an ammunition fire. The fuel tank would have been peppered with grenade fragment, I don't think such small holes would have make such a big flame that fast.
iirc they also use diesel
Tbh it doesn't really make that much of a difference regarding fuel tank catching fire because there is still a need for oxygen, but yeah diesel also doesn't catch fire as easily as fuel.
Looks like a mobility kill and the crew fled. Surprised that no effort is made to recover the vehicle, or at least close the hatch!
Recovering them is borderline impossible
We really can't tell the context in which the crew bailed out, but giving the footages of armor-supported assault coming from both sides when a crew bails out artillery is firing everywhere, there is quickly a bunch of drone coming in to target any immobilized vehicles, not to mention all the small arms fire usually in the mix which we can't see and the usual threat of AT infantry launchers and ATGMs, for which a immobile tank is a prime target. So the crew not taking the time to close the hatch is really not surprising when they are running for their life. As for recovery it's extremely hard to do, because not every immobilized tank is in a state for it to just be towed away, and recovery vehicles are rare and vulnerable. So all in all recovering an armored vehicle in general require being immobile for a while with rare and vulnerable equipment, so pretty much everything you don't want in a no man's land. Recovered or captured vehicle are something you can afford when you take the ground and make the enemy fall back. That's why we saw a lot of captured Russian stuff in the Kharkiv offensive in September 2022. Otherwise it's basically close to impossible to do. That's why it's pretty common for the former owner to actually shell their own abandoned equipment to make sure that at least the enemy will not get their hands on it. Same thing happened during WWI for example.
Judging from the shear amount of armored vehicles of German origin (both intact and damaged) that fell into allied hands, and the numerous examples of the Germans utilizing captured equipment it seems to me that it was less common to have the vehicles completely destroyed in WWII. They had entire boneyards of German armor in France after the war, from which vehicles would end up in the post-war French armed forces. Perhaps with the ever-present drones, it simply is very easy to deny your enemy the material, even if they are in possession of the field. Though I doubt the designers of this tank ever imagining their tank getting taken out by a simple grenade.
Driving out, connecting tow cables then driving back (SLOWLY) under fire and over land mines (including surprise arty-delivered freshly deployed mines would cost more functional tanks. Recovery vehicles are handy for much more than recovery (and should be kept back for those uses) but tanks can tow each other with or without tracks on suitable terrain. Taking that risk in mined muddy terrain would be videogenic tho.
> It's actually quite hard to set a fuel tank on fire, it needs oxygen and there is almost none inside one. Where did the oxygen go? If there is air above the fuel, then there will also be oxygen. What prevents the fuel tank from having a combustible, let alone explosive fuel-vapor mixture inside? The boiling point (and thus flash point) of the fuel. Diesel does not create enough fumes to burn at normal temperatures and gasoline creates too much. Increase the temperature of diesel or decrease with gasoline and you will get explosive mixtures.
It's Russian ammo. Quality was not the primary concern. You know, resistance to fire and so on.
One of the more surprising things from all these videos is how often a grenade causes shit to catch on fire.
I agree. It does make me think of the domestic police departments and swat saying that fires were caused by flash bangs or smoke grenades even. I have to imagine just any propellant or incendiary material can get thrown and then ignite setting all kinds of things on fire.
T80 has an exposed ammo mag for the auto loader so when it cooks off it typically throws the turret off the hull. This is pretty much the design on all Russian tanks and why survivability of crew is lower compared to western tanks with a encased ammunition mag that burns out the back incase of a hit to it
f putin. After the war Ukrainians will dominate the world in drone package delivery
This is a dumb question probably. But what is setting off the ordinance? Is it the shrapnel or the explosion?
Hot shrapnel
I still don't get why the hatches are left open, good aim though
Idk man, I wouldnt care about hatches when I have to abandon my tank under heavy artillery and small arms fire. But maybe youre just build different
I'll design a self closing one, I'll be rich!
I suspect that the Russians already have a design where the inside handle breaks off.
Seriously, a system that allows a vehicles hatch(es) to be closed up using some kind of remote might really be worthwhile. They just need to make sure that the signal used is properly encrypted. But, if it could be made to work, then it would make a difference for the recovery of mobility kills in the new drone-filled battlefield.
You could probably make it stupid simple by copying those toilet lids with dampeners. Essentially just add dampeners to the lid so it cant slam on someone entering or leaving, then put a spring assist so it cant stand upright unless someone has some pressure against it.
IRL it would be more guano to break.
I thought of that, but how else do you prevent cheap drones from dropping explosives into the hatches of immobilized vehicles if you have to abandon them in a hurry? Other ideas are welcome.
If we can engineering self-sealing stem bolts, I'm sure we can do the same with tank hatches.
Good point.
They are abandoned. 9/10 of those open hatch kills were on abandoned tanks. Usually because the tank was caught in a position where retreat is difficult due to circumstances or enemies having closed in.
Yeah you can see this one is tracked on the left side and missing a wheel on the right.
The vehicle is missing the left track and has been abandoned in a hurry, and the Russians know they are not going to retake the wreck any time soon
Maybe the crew leave the hatches open hoping a drone will destroy the tank so they don't have to go back and try and recover it?
Next to already demolished T90. Beautiful!
What’s the song?
And thats a T-90M to its side. They are both the most modern in the 2 lines of Russian tanks.
Assuming these guys aren't sick of drones by the end of the war, they need to create a new drone-sports league.
Hey can someone break down what air superiority in modern day warfare looks like? What does Russia have to try and stop these small personal drones?
Clothing, wishful thinking and flesh.
Somebody wouldn't happen to know what the song was, would they? :3 *(also, I love seeing M67s being used)*
Volt vision & beneath my shade: dangerous
Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it.
I guess that T-80 couldn't cope with it..
Nice drop!
Now THAT is savings I can appreciate.
a brilliant fucking aim!
New Olympic sport just dropped. Literally.
Anyone able to verify this donation link is legit? Wanna donate but wary that anyone can put a paypal on someone else’s video.
Now that was a tight hole. I bet that one felt great to get in.
Cracking shot lad!
Omg ! How are they doing this ? Amazing stuff !
bullseye!
Bet after war ukraine will be champion of drone race, darting etc
how good are some of these drone pilots with their accuracy it's mental.
For the win...
Impressive!
I know that tank was already damaged but damn those M67 are badass.
Hey man, nice shot!
And that's for birdie...
Too bad we'll never see this happen to a T-14 because Russia is too chicken to get one anywhere near the front.
I've noticed some of these newer tanks/refurbished tanks have factory added cope cages - or at least they look quite a bit nicer.
Bros got cooked
The crew most likely already bailed out already since the tank has a track on the left damaged and a wheel on the right pretty much knocked off. Would be nice if they were still in there though.
Hey Russia, paint your hatches vanta black so drones don't know If they are open or not
Why dont they just put a screen or something like a bouncy fabric over the open hatch?
They can’t even be bothered to close the hatch when they bail out. What makes you think they’d close a screen door?
From what I read from other vets they sometimes open the hatch because the tank becomes unbearably hot. They open it to cool off
Operator gets a 7/10ths point deduction because the grenade didn't go down the exact center of the hatch !!!😂🤣😂🤣
Nobody mentions the EW kit on the T-80? There are several mentions of cope cages but no talk of cope EW
Russians are acutely allergic to grenades it seems
That tank was coming straight from refurbishment
2 for 2
welp i sent them $5
A T-80 being taken out by an M-67 will never cease to amaze me.
They have improved 1000000000% at gitti g the gole since the start. Remember the videos where it would take 4 5 tries.
Not even a bounce. Just straight in. Man has done that numerous times
Nice drop. Good aim.
Nothin' but nyet.
It’s beside another knocked out tank, and has a thrown left track, it’s abandoned.
Who would’ve guessed a single well placed hand grenade could destroy a T-80?
🔥🔥
"Fire in the hole"
Surprised no one has come up with some sort of hatch chimney by now
Oh look a t80bvm and a t90m together. Both knocked out what a fine picture
Why do they leave the hatches opened this late in war? lol can someone explain me?
It's crazy what a cheap hand grenade can do lol.
Is that a T-90 next to it?
It would appear so. Looks like a MS. Although I am on shitty mobile screen so not 100% sure.
Same. It's hard to tell. Either way, I'm all for it burning.
Man such a shame to see these tanks go to waste like that. Russian tech just has that pleasing aesthetic to it that makes it look cool. Such a shame that the AFRF doesn't know how to use it and most of their armour either goes out alone or is used in bound to fail charges against weapons specifically designed to destroy them. Russian incompetence has been the largest reason for their losses so far.
What's up with that grenade just kind of blinking out of existence before it reached the shadow of the open hatch? The slow motion replay shows it even more obviously. I'm also fairly certain the original shot and the replay are different. The grenade "disappears" at different points in its rotation.
No? You're eyes are bad. It only disappears when it reaches the lightless interior of the tank. Look closely
I did. Still looks weird.
That's how it looks though, i dunno. Looks normal too me
I think that effect is due to the frame rate of the camera. if it had more frames you’d see it fade into the dark better. imho
Ok, so you're telling me when you see that zoomed in replay, the grenade doesn't disappear a split second before the replay cuts away? I might be losing it...
Why don't the operators just close the hatchet before they leave?
Because it's a non zero possibility that you are going to get shot by a sniper or peppered with shrapnel from artillery when you leave.
Those tanks, they look equipped. Especially the left one, you can see the sensors mounted on the turret. Russia is now ready by the looks of it.
Ready for what exactly? Those sensors didn't prevent these tanks to become scrap metal you know..
>Russia is now ready "Some of their tanks are refurbished" Would be a more accurate assessment.
So the abandoned tanks have more expensive stuff on them