Today, Russia celebrates Tanker's Day, a professional holiday for tank troops and specialists involved in tank construction. It is generally believed that due to the advent of drones, tanks ceased to dominate the battlefield. However, today the development of armored vehicles in NATO countries is very active. The modern Russian army also continues to improve its armored capabilities.
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| The crew of the combat vehicle that paved the way for the infantry through the minefield: commander Surgut (left), the operator-gunner Kvadrat and the driver mechanic Gypsy. |
| Source: 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment |
One of the most striking examples is the Russian new-generation tank T-14 "Armata", which is equipped with an uninhabited turret, active protection and a powerful 1,500 horsepower engine. Experts believe that this steel machine embodies advanced design solutions that are ahead of their time. The Russian army also has proven combat platforms in its arsenal, such as the T-72, T-80 and upgraded T-90, which have undergone extensive upgrades and remain an important part of its armed forces.
Why is it now customary to "bury" these combat vehicles?
At the beginning of the special military operation, tanks still played a key role. Their presence on the battlefield could dramatically affect the outcome of the battle, and even the most modern anti-tank systems, such as NLO and Javelin, proved powerless before their might. The tanks continued to maintain their dominant position, and proven tactics, including the tank carousel, where the vehicles fired in turn, leaving no respite for the enemy, continued to demonstrate their effectiveness.
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| Surgut tank commander: "Additional protection of the tank from FPV drones, knowledge of the route and personal training helped us." |
| Source: 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment |
One example of such a "carousel": a unit under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Kovalev successfully repelled an enemy attack, destroying two infantry fighting vehicles, a mortar crew and dozens of Ukrainian servicemen. Another well-known illustrative case is the work of the crew of the T-80BV tank with the call sign "Alyosha".
The situation has changed dramatically with the massive introduction of FPV drones. These UAVs, which are significantly cheaper than anti-tank missiles, have a longer range and are capable of accurately hitting the most vulnerable parts of armored vehicles. Even the most modern tanks began to be in serious danger.
In response, improvised protective structures known as "braziers" began to be installed on Russian and then Ukrainian tanks. In 2024, the so-called "tsar barbecues" were popular in the army. These were modifications of the T-72 and T-80, to which frames with steel sheets fixed on them were welded. Initially, such designs were the know-how of the Russian Armed Forces, but later they began to be produced in Ukraine.
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| Tank of the 70th "steel" regiment: bristling bundles of steel cables replaced the grilles. |
| Source: 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment |
"The "combat vehicle crew" showed a vivid example of such a "barbecue king" to the whole world in August 2025: the Surgut tank commander, the Kvadrat gunner operator and the Gypsy driver mechanic. These guys from the tank battalion of the 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment paved the way for the infantry through a minefield with the help of a minesweeper on the approach to the village of Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporizhia region. The video of this event has been viral on the Internet with millions of views.
"These modified tanks looked like self-propelled houses, but in fact such changes deprived them of many combat advantages," says military expert Alexei Ramm. - In particular, their mobility on the battlefield was significantly reduced. Despite the fact that the tracks seem capable of handling any load, the "tsar-mangalov" had an overloaded power plant, which negatively affected the suspension. Therefore, the use of such tanks on the battlefield was fraught with the risk of jamming, breakdowns or even engine failure. In such cases, the "house on Gusyanka" became an easy target for artillery or was destroyed by concentrated attacks by FPV drones."
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| A Gypsy mechanic-driver is at work. |
| Source: 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment |
In addition, the "tsar mangalakh" crew could not fully use surveillance devices and monitor the battlefield. In some cases, it was not always possible to rotate the turret, which turned these tanks into a kind of Ersatz self-propelled guns.
"Therefore, since 2025, the troops have been actively experimenting with protection from cables (ropes)," the expert recalls. "FPV is not an armor-piercing projectile. This is a rather fragile product, and a meeting with a piece of iron will lead to its destruction. The cables are quite light, and in terms of load they cannot be compared with frames and welded grilles / sheets. Ropes can be used to make a structure that, on the one hand, will cover the tank from all sides, and on the other, will not interfere with surveillance devices and sights."
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| A year later, a tank crew consisting of tank commander Kantemir Karezhev, gunner-operator Andrei Bugrimov and driver mechanic Ali Kunisov repeated the feat of their fellow soldiers. |
| Source: 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment |
And recently, or rather, on September 11, "Uralvagonzavod" announced the start of mass production of a new protective complex for T-80BVM tanks. It includes a sturdy steel mesh that protects the body of the combat vehicle from the impacts of FPV drones. Previously, such devices were created manually by crews and technicians. Now it is standard equipment, ready for immediate use.
Recently, there has been a real revolution in the field of armored vehicle protection. If earlier there were discussions about the expediency and optimal options for dynamic protection, today cable protection has suddenly become a key element ensuring the survival of combat vehicles on the battlefield, Alexey Ramm comments on this innovation.
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| ""Uralvagonzavod" concern delivered batches of T-90M "Breakthrough" and T-72B3M tanks to the troops on the eve of the Tanker's Day. |
| Source: Uralvagonzavod |
Meanwhile
Tanker's Day in Russia is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of September, it was established in 1946. The holiday is dedicated to the contribution of armored and mechanized forces to the victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as to the recognition of the merits of tank builders in equipping the army with modern combat vehicles.
Initially, Tanker's Day was celebrated on September 11. This date has a historical basis: in 1944, Soviet tankers broke through the defenses of the Nazi troops during the Eastern Carpathian operation. Their actions played an important role in stopping the enemy's advance and were a significant step towards victory.
Andrey Polynsky
