Modernized Russian tanks including the T-72B3M, T-80BVM and T-90M remain the military's main strike force, according to Major Andrei Bestemyanov, who spoke to the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.
Tank crews from the 2nd Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District carried out single and group live-fire exercises at the Totsky training range, using modernized T-80 and T-90 tanks.
Officer's comments
Bestemyanov, who oversaw the exercises, said tanks remain a leading element on the battlefield despite a widespread belief to the contrary. He said tanks remain the main strike force for breakthroughs, a point he said was confirmed by dozens of combat episodes during the special military operation in Ukraine.
He also noted that the protection of the modernized tanks has improved, and that tactics for using them have changed. In July, a modernized T-90M fitted with the Arena-M active protection system was spotted in Russia.
