Polish PT-91 Twardy tanks have been deployed in Ukraine’s ongoing offensive in the Kursk region, but the operation has not been without losses.
Struck by Drone
According to Tech At least one PT-91 Twardy has reportedly been destroyed, likely by a Russian Lancet-3 drone.
Recently, footage surfaced showing Polish tanks in the Kursk region, followed by a video depicting the aftermath of a drone strike.
The video shows a PT-91 Twardy struck by a Lancet-3 drone, resulting in the ignition of the tank's ammunition and the tragic death of the crew. A second tank was abandoned after the attack.
The PT-91 Twardy, a heavily modernized version of the Soviet T-72, was developed in the 1990s as part of Poland’s tank modernization program. The goal was to enhance the capabilities of the T-72M1 tanks, the backbone of Poland’s armored forces, to better compete with Russian T-72Bs.
Strong Armor and Other Improvements
Key upgrades included the development of the ERAWA reactive armor, which provides high protection with minimal weight increase.
The ERAWA armor can offer 95% protection against single-charge warheads, commonly used by drones. Unlike Soviet Kontakt-1 armor, ERAWA also offers partial protection against tandem warheads and kinetic penetrators.
Other improvements in the PT-91 Twardy include a more powerful S-12U engine with 850 horsepower, an advanced DRAWA fire control system with thermal imaging, and the Obra self-defense system that warns the crew of laser targeting and automatically deploys smoke grenades to disrupt anti-tank guided missiles.
Despite its enhancements, the PT-91 retains its 125mm cannon and autoloader, which, while risky for the crew, has shown resilience in combat, sometimes surviving multiple hits and allowing the crew to escape.
