War in Ukraine: what is this new “Terminator” tank deployed by the Russian army?

Nicknamed Terminator, a dozen of these special Russian army tanks were seen in the Donbass en route to the city of Severodonetsk. Besides their name, what makes them so fearsome and will they make a difference on the battlefield?

After the Satan-2, here is the Terminator. For weapons systems, Russia or the West like to give disturbing nicknames. If the missile nuclear Satan-2 officially called RS-28 Sarmat has been talked about a lot while it is not yet operational, the terminator of the second generation made its appearance in the East in the conflict in Ukraine. This is a very special battle tank that was seen near Severodonetsk in the Donbass, a major strategic objective for Russia. These BMP-T nicknamed “Terminator 2” are designed to protect other combat tanks and armored vehicles. Based on a chassis of T-72 – the famous Russian heavy tank of which we regularly see photos of turrets projected on the ground -, this vehicle has thick armor mixed with kevlar and plates to reinforce it. The set is supposed to resist anti-tank missiles and anti-armour munitions. They present a reinforced evolution of this same tank which was designed in the early 2010s. Russia being essentially an army of tanks, it was necessary to find a solution to protect them effectively during assaults, in particular in the context of urban and urban combat. when the enemy is organized to carry out guerrilla operations.

10 “Terminator 2” BMP-Ts identified near Serevodonetsk

To track down and neutralize armored vehicles or infantry positions, “Terminator 2” has a large armada and several sensors. There are thus two 30 mm 2A42 cannons, a 7.62 mm caliber PKT machine gun, four missiles antitank guided 9M120-1 Ataka and two AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers. Due to all her armament, her crew consists of five men. In short, enough to annihilate everything that could harm the vast armored columns during the Russian offensive on Kyiv. It seems, however, that the only unit that possesses them, the Central Grouping of Forces (CGF), was present to protect these armored vehicles blocked for tens of kilometers.

This type of tank was also designed to protect heavy tanks during previous conflicts, particularly in Chechnya or Afghanistan. According to British intelligence, the CGF which operates them would have deployed a dozen in the Severodonetsk sector. If the name, the armament or the shielding of these Terminators makes you tremble, they will certainly not be in sufficient number to present a real advantage in the Russian campaign. Because in addition to the numerous anti-tank missile launchers, there is also the threat of destructive fire from drone TB2 Bayrakar which we do not know if these fatal Terminators could escape.