Russia's Reputed Terminator Tanks Spotted In Ukraine For First Time

Russian Terminator tanks have been spotted making their way towards Bakhmut in the Donbas region. The heavily armed and armored vehicles were seen with a group of battle tanks belonging to the “Sievierodonetsk axis of the Donbas offensive”. On Sunday, the UK Defense Intelligence said the deployment of the Terminators will not likely have any significant impact on Russia’s offensive campaign.

According to The Sun, the Terminator tanks are part of the military offensive support that is seen for the first time in combat. Earlier this month, Russia was reported to have deployed its only unit of Terminators to the frontline and is said to have about 10 of the tanks in service. The distinct vehicles were seen moving through a field of smoke with tank shells scattered about with a rain of Ukrainian artillery beating down on them.

Weighing around 53 tons and spanning a size of about 23 feet in length, the Terminators run on 1,000 horsepower and were designed for urban assaults capable of destroying enemy tanks, lightly-armored vehicles, low flying aircraft and helicopters. Reputed to be Russia’s most advanced weapons system, the BMPT Terminators remain unfazed and fearsome with their Ataka supersonic anti-tank missile system that has the ability to hit targets at a maximum distance of 6 kilometers. The tanks are equipped with twin cannons that can fire up to 600 rounds per minute, including one firing armor-piercing round along with other anti-personnel rounds such as a Kalashnikov submachine gun.

The photos were shared with the media by Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov who captured movements of the Russian Army’s 90th tank and assault divisions. "The opponent is focusing efforts on breaking through our defenses in the Bakhmut area and using their core operational reserves to do so,” he told reporters.

Russian forces have captured a huge area of the Donbas region with its central west remaining under Ukrainian military control. The Sievierodonetsk campaign is Russia’s current push in intensifying operations in Luhansk as the Kremlin continues to send out thousands of troops to capture the last remaining stand in the region.

The Russian Central Grouping of Forces reportedly is actively involved in the offensive as it is the only unit operating the Terminator tanks. The CGF was involved in the initial offensive in Kyiv however, it failed to break the resistance of Ukrainian troops and citizens defending the capital.