47th Mechanized Brigade destroyed the Russian Т-90М MBT

5 July, 2023 Destruction of a Russian T-90M tank in the Zaporizhzhia region, July 2023. Soldiers of the 47th Mechanized Brigade "Magura" destroyed the Russian ?-90? tank in the Zaporizhzhia region. The video was published on social media.

The Russian fighting vehicle was hit by the brigade's artillery, presumably M109A6 self-propelled howitzers. Precision cluster munition BONUS/SMArt 155 was used to strike the target. The video captures one of the two HEAT submunitions hitting the tank with the subsequent ignition of a fire in the combat compartment.

At least the tank commander was able to leave the tank, but he suffered significant burns. A large number of pallets from the tank rounds were spotted behind the vehicle.

This indicates that the tank crew shot all ammunition without changing its position. Such frivolous tactics helped the Ukrainian military, as it gave time for reconnaissance UAVs and gunners to do their job. According to some reports, the ?-90? was destroyed in the rear of the Russian troops near the village of Solodka Balka.

This position is located seven kilometers away from the line of contact near the settlement of Robotine. The location and tactics of the crew's actions suggest that the tank was used as artillery to fire from a defilade position. This may be due to the shortage of 122mm and 152mm ammunition in the Russian Armed Forces.

The site of the destruction of the Russian T-90M tank, July 2023

To date, according to Oryx OSINT analysts, 23 lost ?-90? tanks have been confirmed by the Russian military.

This combat vehicle should be the 24th on the list. The SMArt 155 is a 155mm artillery round designed by the German company Diehl Defense. The munition is designed for high-precision attacks on armored vehicles and its defeat by submunitions to the upper part of the hull.

The projectile is fired at the specified coordinates.

It carries two separate submunitions, which, after a projectile explodes at a certain height above the target, are separated and lowered in parachutes to search for the target.

The design of the SMArt 155 artillery round

Each submunition is equipped with an individual homing system that combines radar and infrared sensors.

After identifying the target, the submunition detonates and shoots the impact core, which strikes the combat vehicle from above.