New battlefield tactics
Russians now use “turtle tanks” in groups
April 30, 2024, 5:20 a.m
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To protect their attack columns from drones, Moscow is upgrading its tracked vehicles with additional armor. The first deployments of the so-called “turtle tanks” as battlefield taxis are successful. Now the Russians are further adapting their tactics.
The use of so-called “turtle tanks” on the front lines in Ukraine appears to be becoming the new normal. A good three weeks after the first sighting of a Russian T-72 tank with an additional protective shell attached, Moscow’s troops are now attacking the modified vehicles in groups. This is shown by a clip that is currently making the rounds on social networks.
Russian war blogger Boris Rozhin published the drone video of a column of “turtle tanks” on Telegram. According to him, the photo was taken last Saturday and shows an attack on the small town of Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region. You can see four “Turtle Tanks”, presumably upgraded BMP infantry fighting vehicles, and a main battle tank driving into the city area under Ukrainian artillery fire. In the end it seems as if only one of the vehicles will make it back to the Russian lines. According to the war blogger, the attack was to transport paratroopers into the city.
The first “turtle tank” was spotted near Krasnohorivka in early April. Just a week later, a Ukrainian drone spotted another example with an improved design in the area. Instead of a flat protective panel, the second “turtle tank” had a higher structure, apparently to provide protection for infantrymen. The construction proved successful. According to the pro-Ukrainian blog Defense Express, the prototype unloaded Russian stormtroopers near the Ukrainian positions during its baptism of fire and then drove back again.
The experience that the Russians have gained with the “turtle tank” now seems to be having an impact on their tactics. Instead of just having one of the vehicles drive at the head of the attack column, you now use several “turtle tanks” at the same time.
The Ukrainian armed forces are having problems defending themselves against the monsters due to a lack of artillery shells, mines and anti-tank weapons. “Everyone laughs at the design of their armor, but in reality they work damn well,” wrote the pro-Ukrainian war blog “Life on the Front Line” on a video that purports to show a “turtle tank” advance on the city of Chasiv Yar. According to the Telegram channel, “a lot” of FPV (First Person View) drones were necessary to repel the attack.