Ukrainian soldiers from the 60th Mechanized Brigade recently shared footage of their successful defense against a Russian assault in the Donetsk region.
Remarkable Force Behind Explosion
The video captures the dramatic moment when one of the hit tanks exploded, launching its turret into the air with remarkable force, achieving a height of approximately 249 feet (76 meters), according to open-source intelligence analysts, according to WP.
In the footage, soldiers are seen engaging a Russian assault group consisting of infantry fighting vehicles (BMPs) and tanks equipped with a distinctive "armored barn" design.
The Russians faced attacks from artillery, including cluster munitions and swarms of FPV (first-person view) drones. This multi-faceted assault effectively neutralized the threat posed by the Russian forces.
A Flaw in the Tank
Tanks such as the T-64 and T-72, which have been modernized over the years, utilize a low-mounted autoloader system.
This design was intended to meet the demands of nuclear warfare, allowing for a lower turret profile that made the tanks less visible on the battlefield.
However, this innovative design comes at a steep price in terms of crew safety. The ammunition storage for T-72 and T-90 tanks consists of a carousel with horizontally arranged shells, holding up to 22 rounds.
This magazine is located at the bottom of the tank's hull, separated from the crew only by a steel plate, without any structures to redirect the force of an explosion outward, as seen in tanks like the Leopard 2 or M1 Abrams.
Any damage to this ammunition storage can cause the explosive force to be directed at the weakest point—the steel plate and turret mount. Moreover, if the tank carries excess ammunition, it is often haphazardly stored throughout the turret.
In this case, the Russian tank was likely loaded with a more potent explosive mixture, leading to one of the most powerful recorded tank explosions to date.
