Ukrainian artillery commander Serhiy He smiles as he tells the journalist about the adventures on board armored infantry vehicle M2 Bradley fighting on the battlefield against a Russian T-90 tank, Russia's most capable main battle tank in the Ukraine War, which Vladimir Putin described as “The best tank in the world.” Serhiy suggests this Playing war video games helped him face the Russian enemy alive. whose fight was captured in a viral drone video. In the images circulating on social media, the US-made Bradley can be seen shooting one Bushmaster M242 autocannon of 25 mm against the T-90 at short range until it was destroyed.
Experts are trying to explain how an infantry fighting vehicle like the M-2 Bradley, which is not a tank, could defeat a much more powerful T-90 on paper. In view of this, an arms expert consulted by TheWarZone described the confrontation as “impressive”. The T-90M has a 125mm main gun compared to the Bradley's 25mm Bushmaster and much thicker armor – particularly at the front – than the Ukrainian-piloted American vehicle.
Based on the video images, the expert assures that these are probably the bullets fired by the vehicle driven by the Ukrainians Depleted uranium drill, which are very powerful. Another fact worth highlighting is the use of the smaller Bushmaster cannon to combat the T-90 instead of it wire-guided anti-tank missile system, with optical tracking and tube start (TOW). Regarding the 25 mm Bushmaster, the expert interviewed said that “the weapon itself is just as good as the TOW in certain situations against tanks.”
Other observers claim that the video reveals this Shortcomings of the Russian Armored Forcesless well-trained compared to the Russian gunners who died in the first weeks of the war when Moscow attempted a large-scale operation from eastern and northern Ukraine to take the capital Kiev.
How is the M2 Bradley?
He Bradley is valued for his powerful weapons and excellent optics. Although its design dates back to the 1970s, the vehicle has undergone further development with many modifications to continue to be a reliable and effective combat machine used by the armies of more than 20 countries. This is what the open source monitoring group Oryx says Ukraine lost at least 65 of the 190 Bradleys Sent to Ukraine from the USA. Of them, at least 30 were destroyed, 23 damaged and 11 abandoned. At least one was captured by the Russians. These numbers could be higher as Oryx only records losses for which it has visual confirmation.
The terrible episode occurred nearby Stepovoy, a village on the outskirts of Avdiivka in northeastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian shooter said in an interview with the Ukrainian media channel TCH: “We shot with everything we could. First with anti-tank. And then we started having problems.” “I can't express what it means to see a tank in the crosshairs. During training I said to myself: God forbid I see a tank in the crosshairs. “It turned out I did, and it was very close,” he said with a smile on his face. Bradley's crew had gone to support the infantry, and it was only the pair's second deployment together, as Serhiy had just returned from training in Germany in December.
How is the T-90M?
The T-90M is considered the crown jewel of Russian artillery. It is the successor to the popular T-72. It is characterized by its advanced defense system and a 125mm cannon in the turret. The tank weighs 46 tons and measures 9.63 meters.
The T-90M's ability to travel on all types of terrain is good, as it has an engine that produces just over a thousand horsepower and allows it to reach a top speed of around 60 km/h. It is also distinguished by its outer protective layer, made of an unknown material that theoretically absorbs heat and radio signals, making it difficult to detect and destroy by heat-guided missiles.