Teams operating Russian T-90M tanks have begun an intensive training cycle focused on countering NATO main battle tanks in Ukraine. The content centers on the M1 Abrams from the United States, the Leopard 2 from Germany, and the Challenger 2 from the United Kingdom, with details drawn from a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The material frames the exercises as a strategic effort to study and neutralize Western armor on the battlefield.
The defense ministry disclosed that crews training aboard the T-90M “Proryv” (Breakthrough) tanks are specifically analyzing vulnerable points of Western-design armored vehicles. It is stated that the Western battle machines are being supplied to Ukrainian forces by NATO member nations, underscoring the ongoing Western arms support in the conflict. The briefing highlights that reconnaissance and live-fire drills are conducted in tandem, emphasizing both marksmanship and crew coordination under combat conditions.
In parallel with the weapons handling and targeting work, Russian crews are engaging in comprehensive fire-training regimes and drills that enhance vehicle control, crew communication, and rapid decision-making under stress. These drills are described as part of a broader program to improve the effectiveness of the T-90M in mixed-threat environments, includingUrban settings and open terrain where targeting decisions must be made quickly and accurately.
On a reported date in March, the T-90M program was referred to as “Breakthrough” after a reconnaissance maneuver in the Krasnolimansky direction. In this episode, a Ukrainian reconnaissance group from the 81st Air Vehicle Brigade was detected by unmanned aerial vehicle assets, which reportedly aimed to re-identify Russian troop positions. Responding to the movement, the T-90M crews fired high-explosive fragmentation rounds from defended firing positions, demonstrating a combination of mobility, fire discipline, and protective posture under detected threat. The sequence is described as a real-time exercise in battlefield responsiveness and the integration of armor firepower with reconnaissance cues, illustrating how armored units adapt to evolving battlefield signals. attribution: Russian Ministry of Defense documentation and related military briefings.