Ukraine’s Military Receives Heavily Modernized T-72 Ural Tanks

Ukrainian military’s 22nd Mechanized Brigade has received into service the previously unknown modernization of Soviet Т-72 Ural battle tanks.

A video with a run-in of transferred armor was published by the military on social media.

These heavily upgraded tanks have mounted Kontakt-1 reactive armor on the sides, as well as in the frontal projection of the hull, and turret of the tank. In the aft part of the sides, splat armor has been installed, Militarnyi reported.

The installed protective equipment is extremely necessary for these vehicles due to outdated armor protection that no longer meets modern requirements. Covered by this reactive armor hull sections in the front projection should now withstand the shelling of most of the common anti-tank means on the front line from the RPG-7 and Soviet Fagot ATGM.

Related news: Highly Modernized T-72B3M Tank Delivered to Russian Army

Another important difference between the old and upgraded tanks is the disappearance of the “Moon” infrared spotlight from the turret of the tank, which acted as a light for night vision devices integrated into the sight of the gunner and the commander’s observation device.

During the modernization, the tanks, presumably, also received a standard set of communication equipment presented by the modern Libid-K-2RB digital radio, as well as a set of GLONASS/GPS Basalt navigation equipment.

In all modernized vehicles, two of the six support rollers on each side are not original, but are borrowed from older Т-55/Т-62 tanks taken from old stocks at tank repair plants. This directly points out the existing shortage of spare parts for Т-72 in Ukraine.

Also, the simplified version of the modernized Ukrainian Т-72АМТ tank appeared on the video as a tank platoon commander’s vehicle, about the upgrade of which Militarnyi told in detail in March this year.