56th Motorized Brigade acquires diverse tank fleet

The Mariupol Brigade received a fleet of tanks in various versions.

The military of the 56th Motorized Brigade demonstrated their tanks during mock combat.

In 2022, the Motorized Brigade also received captured Russian main battle tanks.

The Brigade also receives Soviet-type tanks, which are transferred to Ukraine by the Western allies.

The military of the Brigades says that all tanks are functional and their crews are combat-ready.

“Someone dreams of “Leopards,” and we already have real lions in the ranks! The armored fist of our brigade is always ready to knock out the teeth of the enemy,” the brigade said.

In addition to Т-64BV tanks, which were in service with the Brigade before the full-scale invasion, tankers received T-72M1. The T-72M1 tanks were handed over to Ukraine by the Western allies. In particular, Т-72М1 and Т-72М1R tanks were transferred by Poland.

Tanks from this series were actively exported to the countries of the Eastern Bloc, as well as to the Middle East. In 1980, a Т-72М the export model of the Т-72А tank appeared, that differed from its compatriot in the armor design of the turret.

In 1982, the М1 model was presented as a further development of the Т-72М tank, which received an additional 16mm of armor plate on the upper frontal part of the hull and combined turret armor.

Salvages

Also in service with the Mariupol Brigade are captured Russian Т-72B3 tanks, which still have the Sosna-U tank gunner’s sight with the Catherine thermal imager of the French company Thales.

Т-72B3 tanks were also equipped with a new 125mm gun with improved ballistics and life cycle, as well as Kontakt-5 reactive armor.

The Ukrainian military also installed additional protection on the tank in the form of Kontakt-1 ERA units.