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VLADIMIR Putin’s forces have unveiled its barmiest “turtle tanker” yet as Russia scrambles to protect its dwindling armour from Ukraine’s deadly drones.
Footage from Russian state TV showed a Soviet-era BMP-1 coated in metal sheets and bizarre hair-like bristles as it ploughed through the battlefield.
The spiked, “hairy” vehicle was spotted near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, where Moscow’s troops have been steadily advancing.
The weird modifications are part of Moscow’s desperate attempt to shield armoured vehicles from first-person-view (FPV) drones, which have become a battlefield menace.
The “hairy” BMP appears to be an evolution of Russia’s crude “cope cages,” the improvised metal shields first seen on tanks at the start of the war.
But instead of just flat plates, the BMP’s open back is covered by hanging curly sheaves of steel, while thick broom-like bristles jut out from its sides.
Oleksandr Danylyuk, a military and defence analyst at RUSI, told The Telegraph he had not seen such defences used before in this war.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian weapons expert Valerii Riabykh suggested the bristles might be designed to “prematurely initiate the fuses on FPV warheads” before they strike the vehicle directly.
The move comes as Russia and Ukraine engage in an escalating game of drone warfare, with both sides rapidly adapting to counter each other’s tactics.
FPV drones have proved devastating, especially against older armoured vehicles, as they can hit where defences are weakest—on top.
Initially, electronic warfare (EW) systems proved effective at jamming remote-controlled drones, with military officials estimating that 75 per cent of drones were being knocked out, The Telegraph reports.
But the introduction of “unjammable” fibre optic-controlled FPV drones has forced Moscow to get creative with its defences.
VLAD’S DESPERATE TANK DESIGNS
This is far from the first time Putin’s forces have resorted to makeshift solutions.
Last year, Russian troops were spotted rolling into battle with bizarre “turtle tanks”.
The Soviet-era T-80s were covered in steel sheds and chain fringes in a bid to survive drone and missile attacks.
The hulking vehicles, which debuted in Donetsk Oblast, became a symbol of Russia’s reliance on ageing Cold War-era equipment.
While the thick metal plates provided some protection, they also severely limited visibility for the crew, leaving them vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes.
What are ‘turtle tanks’?
“TURTLE tanks” generally refer to tanks with a heavily armored, low-profile design resembling the shape of a turtle.
The term isn’t specific to a single model but can describe various tanks known for their strong armor and defensive capabilities.
One prominent example is the German Panzer VIII Maus, the heaviest fully enclosed armoured fighting vehicle ever built.
Another is the Soviet KV-2, known for its thick armour and large turret.
The design philosophy behind these tanks focuses on maximum protection and survivability on the battlefield, often at the cost of speed and mobility.
One particularly humiliating moment came in August when Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade annihilated several of these “turtle tanks” in Kharkiv Oblast, setting them ablaze in a series of pinpoint strikes.
Footage showed Russian soldiers scrambling from the burning wrecks as Ukrainian drones picked them off one by one.
The slapdash armour upgrades reflect Moscow’s growing desperation as its once-vaunted tank fleet has been decimated.
Before the grim two-year anniversary of the war, Russian commanders were reportedly forced to dig into vast Cold War stockpiles to keep their forces in the fight.
The dire state of Russia’s arsenal was laid bare last May when Putin was forced to cancel or drastically scale back the annual Victory Day parades — typically a grand showcase of Russian military might—due to a lack of heavy-duty military equipment.
