A Russian T-90A tank, identical to the ones being used in Putin‘s war with Ukraine, has been spotted at a Louisiana truck stop having been captured by Ukrainian forces and subsequently brought to the U.S.
A shipping label displayed on the side of the barrel of the main gun reveals the battle tank may have come from been sent from Gdynia, Poland, by an organization called the ‘multinational assessment field team’.
The unusual sight of a tank parked at a truck stop caught the eye of people driving by Peto’s Travel Center and Casino in Roanoke, Louisiana.
The machine is believed to be headed to the US Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) in Maryland where it may be subjected to weapons testing or possibly used in a training exercise with troops.
The tank, believed to have been constructed in 2004, is thought to have been captured by Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade from Russian troops in Kharkiv, last September.
The Russian soldiers who abandoned the tank were with the 27th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, 1st Guards Tank Army.
A Russian T-90A tank was spotted at a Louisiana truck this week on its way to the US Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) in Maryland, a weapons testing center
A shipping label on the gun, seen far left, shows that the tank was sent by a group called the ‘multinational assessment field team’ from Gdynia, Poland, to Beaumont, Texas
It is believed the tank might be used for destructive testing or to familiarize U.S. troops with foreign equipment
The tank’s numerous machine guns have also been removed and it appears to lack some Western fire control components that other T-90As have been equipped with
This is believed to be the very same tank pictured on the battlefield in Ukraine, last September
Photos taken at the truck stop show it complete with damaged front and rear fenders and some explosive reactive armor (ERA) containers on the turret.
Its numerous machine guns have also been removed and it appears to lack some Western fire control components that other T-90As on the battlefield have been equipped with.
Although the shipping label gives some indication as to the tank’s origin and destination, several questions still remain including how it was brought to the U.S. and what it will be used for once it reaches ATC.
‘ATC is the Defense Department’s lead agency for land-combat, direct-fire, and live-fire vulnerability testing,’ according to ATC’s own website.
‘ATC is a multi-purpose test center with diverse capabilities. It has become a world-class testing, training, modeling, simulation, and experimentation facility that gives American Warfighters superior materiel and technology.’
The tank will more than likely be examined by the U.S. military in order to gain information on foreign equipment through a hands-on study, including insights into its capabilities and vulnerabilities through reverse engineering.
Photos taken at the truck stop show it complete with damaged front and rear fenders and some explosive reactive armor (ERA) containers on the turret
The tank was spotted at a truck stop in Roanoke, Louisiana as it made its way north to Maryland
The interior of the tank is badly damaged with very little usable equipment
The tank may be examined by the U.S. military in order to gain information on foreign equipment through a hands-on study
The tank could provide insights into its capabilities and vulnerabilities through reverse engineering
According to The Drive, the tank was left unattended at the truck stop for several days sparking worries it might have been tampered with or that any sensitive information contained might have been compromised.
The trucking company transporting the tank has also not given any further information with Army officials also yet to provide comment.
Earlier this month a leaked trove of US intelligence documents gave the clearest answer to date about the state of the Ukrainian and Russian armies.
Overall, Russia has lost more men and more firepower than the Ukrainians, the documents show, but its losses are nowhere near as devastating as many in the West had been led to believe – with less than two Russian casualties for every one Ukrainian.
Russia has lost some 2,000 tanks since the start of the war and now has less than 500 on the battlefield – a devastating blow for what was once the world’s largest tank army, and which could take decades to rebuild.
The documents also appear to confirm Putin’s manpower problem is as bad – and perhaps worse – than expected, with more than 90 per cent of his combat formations committed to Ukraine.
The tank was seen at the Louisiana truck stop for several days
A Ukrainian service member drives a captured Russian T-72 tank, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine during the early days of the war
Russia has lost some 2,000 tanks since the start of the war and now has less than 500 on the battlefield
Ruassia’s losses are a devastating blow for what was once the world’s largest tank army, and which could take decades to rebuild
Women take photos atop a destroyed Russian tank during an exhibition of destroyed Russian military vehicles, amid Russia’s invasion, in central Kyiv, Ukraine last month
