How 2 Ukraine Bradley Armored Vehicles Took Out Russian T-90 Tank

The Bradley M-2 infantry fighting vehicle has repeatedly proven its worth on Ukraine's battlefields, both in terms of its multiple weapons' lethality and in protecting its crew and passengers. 

The two Ukrainian Bradleys that took out a Russian T-90 main battle tank - Russia's best - used guile, tactics and weapons to neutralize the heavier Russian tank in another demonstration of Ukrainian fighting superiority with NATO weapons. JL 

Brendan Cole reports in Newsweek and BulgariaMilitary.com reports:

The T-90M is the most advanced of Russia's tanks. It has a powerful engine, an upgraded turret and enhanced survivability. The Bradley has a powerful 25 mm autocannon, and "outstanding mobility and lethality." On Thursday, near Stepove, outside Avdiivka, the Bradleys’ 25mm guns targeted the tank. The T-90M retaliated with it 125mm cannon, maneuvering frantically, attempting to counteract the unexpected double assault. Precisely aimed projectiles struck the tank's weak point at the juncture of the hull and the turret. With the turret compromised, the damaged tank lost its ability for 360-degree fire and commenced a frantic spin. The crew got out from the T-90M’s ‘belly’

Dramatic battleground footage purportedly shows a confrontation between Ukrainian troops in a U.S.-supplied M2 Bradley infantry vehicle (IFV) and an advanced Russian T-90M main battle tank.

The drone footage has gone viral of the close-range confrontation between Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade and the Russian tank near Stepove north of Avdiivka. This is in the Donetsk oblast where Russia launched an offensive in October.

 

The Bradley armored vehicles were part of a military package for Ukraine announced in 2023 by the Biden administration. The Bradley has a powerful 25 mm cannon, with manufacturer BAE Systems touting its "outstanding survivability, mobility and lethality."

The Telegram channel War Archive said that the incident took place on Thursday and, as of Saturday morning, the video, which has not been independently verified, had been viewed 780,000 times. Newsweek contacted the Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday for comment.

Russian media have dubbed the T-90M, also known as the Proryv-3, as the "most advanced armored vehicle" of its tanks. It has a more powerful engine, an upgraded turret and enhanced survivability to the T-72 tanks used by both sides.

 

A sped-up version of the footage posted by pro-Ukrainian X, formerly Twitter, account Special Kherson Cat shows the Bradley in the foreground advancing and retreating while shooting at the Russian tank, which is in the middle of a village.

The battlefield ground fluctuates between muddy messes during the day and a frozen tundra every evening, as well as early in the morning and throughout the night. This desolate war zone is sparsely dotted with buildings – some are left standing, others have met with destruction. Amid the skeletons of structures, trees, and bushes, the battle’s trio found an improvised field of cover. 

The American Bradleys’ 25mm guns persistently target the Russian tank, yet the undeterred T-90M retaliates with its robust 125mm cannon. Despite their grit, the Russian crew were left scattered after enduring an unexpected double assault from their Ukrainian counterparts. The encroached T-90M maneuvers frantically, attempting to counteract and bravely fight off each attack. The clock is nearing the ten-minute mark in this intense battle. Precisely aimed projectiles, two or perhaps three – the exact number is uncertain, strike at the universally recognized weak point on every tank, regardless of whether it’s Russian or Western. It’s positioned where the tank is most exposed and susceptible – at the juncture of the hull and the turret housing the gun systems.

The Ukrainian forces landed a lethal blow. The Russian tank crew will not stand a chance against the aftermath of these replicative two or three strikes from the 25mm Bradley guns. With the turret compromised, though the weapon systems might remain functional, the damaged tank loses its ability for 360-degree fire. What commences is a frantic spin of the tank itself, incessantly revolving in an unchanging orbit. 

A subsequent photograph of the impacted tank provides revealing details. The ERA armor positioned at the tank’s front could not offer sufficient resistance, causing the ERA blocks[or bricks] to become incapacitated, damaged, or blasted off. The tank’s front end is aflame, and the spots where the projectiles are believed to have struck present a disheartening scene, featuring charred ERA blocks and presumably a damaged gun.

 

The tank hatch stands ajar. Most likely, the crew managed to get out from the T-90M’s ‘belly’ [there’s no official confirmation or refutation of this theory]. Yet, the tank is now reduced to unrepairable military debris, at least in its current state. The intense battle, nearing a tense ten-minute mark, concludes in favor of the Ukrainian troops.

 

"At the end of the video it's visible that tank most likely received significant damage as the crew cannot control the turret rotation," added the post.

 

Bradleys are making a significant difference for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. As the Ukrainian commander with the call sign Kach prevously told Newsweek, Russian soldiers are "afraid" to launch operations if they know they face a Bradley.

Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi told Reuters that his forces needed more attack aircraft, including jets to support infantry and planes to fire long-range missiles. He added that U.S.-made A-10 fighter jets and attack helicopters such as the Apache could make a difference.

Ukraine has pushed its allies to provide F-16s and other advanced aircraft. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium have agreed to supply their own F-16s, Overnight on Friday, Russia carried out a mass attack against regions using weapons including hypersonic missiles, across the country. Explosions were reported in Chernihiv Oblast and missiles downed in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, according to local authorities and the Ukrainian air force. Newsweek has yet to verify these reports.

On Friday, Russian forces shelled Sumy oblast 260 times, firing at 12 communities, the regional Military Administration reported.

Meanwhile, Russian troops had made marginal advances northeast of Bakhmut in the Donetsk oblast, and also in Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, according to the U.S.-based independent think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).