In a video shared by Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) on Monday, you could see a destroyed Russian T-72B near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, the scene of heavy fighting in recent weeks.
What we know: Attack with AT4?
The 21-second video does not actually show the tank under fire, but it appears that Ukrainian forces, who were in a small bunker on the front line, used a portable anti-tank weapon to target and destroy the vehicle.
In the video, the T-72B is seen smoking, as a Ukrainian soldier playfully waves at the camera..
Behind him is an AT4 anti-tank launcher, a one-shot “wonder weapon” that is currently one of the most widely used man-portable tank destroyers in the world.
Originally developed by Förenade Fabriksverken (FFV) and manufactured at their facility in Zakrisdal, Karlstad, Sweden, the AT4 borrowed many design elements from the Swedish Army’s 8.4cm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle.
However, the disposable weapon was designed around a smoothbore fiberglass reinforced outer tube.
It can easily be handled by a single soldier.
It is currently manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics and remains one of the most cost effective platforms for infantry to destroy an enemy tank.
Depending on the model, the AT4 has a range of 200 to 600 meters, while being capable of penetrating rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) up to 420 mm (17.5 in) thick.
another one bites the dust
Avidiivka is the scene of ongoing fighting in the Russo-Ukrainian war, and was one of the first places hit when Russia launched its unprovoked invasion more than a year ago.
The city has been almost completely destroyed, and today only 10% of its pre-war population remains in the region.
As of this month, Avidiivka remains under Ukrainian control.
The area is also a graveyard for Russian tanks, and the recently destroyed T-72B is now just one of hundreds littering the field.
According to reports, Russia has lost dozens of vehicles, including seven tanks and six armored personnel carriers (APCs) in recent days, and more than 1,000 other troops over the weekend.while clashes are taking place in the Donbas region.
Although not independently verified, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has claimed that Russian casualties have exceeded 156,990 dead since fighting began on February 24, 2022.
The number of human casualties is notable, but so is the number of destroyed Russian tanks. David Axe, writing for Forbes.com on Sunday, was one of the journalists who suggested that the Kremlin is running out of T-72s, its most widely used main battle tank.
As a result, Russia has been forced to employ its newly mobilized tank battalions with outdated T-62 and T-80B MBTs.
Although newer than the T-72, the T-80 is considered a much more complicated machine, difficult to manufacture, and even more difficult to maintain in the field..
The T-62 is a truly antiquated piece of hardware that was largely withdrawn from the Soviet arsenal and is only now returning to service to bolster Russia’s main battle tank number.
As a result of the decision to send these old tanks into a new fight, it is likely that we will continue to see similar vehicles with burning hulls scattered across the fields of Ukraine.
