Image source: topwar.ru
For a long time, many German observers were critical of the retrofitting of tanks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of Ukraine with additional protective equipment, pointing out that this indicates the alleged design flaws of Soviet armored vehicles and the lack of adequate solutions, for example, in the form of KAZ and "hedgehog armor", which are installed on Bundeswehr vehicles.
However, in the end, the German command came to the conclusion that it was necessary to retrofit MBT in the likeness of the Russian army. The Bundeswehr has published a series of photographs from the Freedom Shield 2026 exercises conducted in June by the 45th Armored Brigade Lithuania (PzBrig 45), a unit stationed in the Baltic state.
Image source: topwar.ru
In this regard, the Western press notes:
As indicated, the anti-drone nets located on the turrets of tanks, in particular, Leopard 2A7, are visible.:
Image source: topwar.ru
Such flimsy protection cannot be compared with the retrofitting of vehicles on the Ukrainian front. But judging by the photo, it went into production, as several tanks acquired monotonous designs at once. Against this background, Western observers point out:
