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- "Dreadlocks" in the cold: tankers of the "Center" switched to a new tactic of hacking defense
"Dreadlocks" in the cold: tankers of the "Center" switched to a new tactic of hacking defense
In the Red Army area, the Russian army is developing success after the liberation of Dimitrov — the enemy's resistance in the next "cauldron" has been finally suppressed. The prevailing wet weather with low skies has limited the use of drones, bringing the classic power of artillery and tank wedges back to the forefront. The Izvestia correspondent met with the crews of the 114th Guards Brigade of the 51st Army of the Center group of forces and saw how the tactics of modern warfare are changing and what the soldiers on the front line dream of.
Traditions under the roar of cannonade
In the corner of the command post, next to the old sofa, there is a small decorated Christmas tree. Next to the usual balls, there are figures printed on a 3D printer, a discreet but important sign of the times. Today, workshops with printing of non-standard parts have become an almost mandatory part of not only unmanned, but also many other departments. They create not only parts for drops and spare parts for drones, but also souvenirs for the holiday: miniature models of armored vehicles and emblems of the native brigade.
Above the entrance door is an old Soviet painting of a tank driving up to a height with a turret turn. In the background is a mountain landscape: exercises or Afghanistan. Behind the bunk beds there is a battalion banner and a tricolor with memorable signatures. These autographed flags of the participants of the landmark assaults are transported from one location to another as the main relic.
The company commander, Captain Evgeny Sukhanov with the call sign Sukhoi, greets us with a smile. We saw each other back in 2022 under the Sands. Back then, he helped attach cameras to armor with ordinary duct tape — magnetic holders did not yet exist. Eugene has come a long way. He is a native of Crimea, lived in Zhytomyr until 2014, but when the Maidan began in Kiev, he left for Donbass and began his military career in the militia. Sukhoi became the hero of journalistic reports many times in connection with the liberation of various settlements of the DPR.
"Everything has changed today," says the captain. — It's worth firing a couple of shells, and you're already being hunted. The boys learned how to empty the "conveyor belt" (automatic loader) at top speed. You can not stand still for a long time — immediately roll back. Therefore, we are preparing dozens of positions to work from different locations.
According to the officer, even in neighboring areas, the intensity of enemy UAVs may vary significantly. Where tankers moved freely yesterday, today the sky can literally be "teeming" with drones. Nowadays, Evgeny more often controls the battle through monitors, relying on aerial reconnaissance data, but emphasizes that tankers have not turned into gunners. They are ready at any moment to abandon shooting from closed positions and go into a classic breakthrough.
— I wish your readers a little luck, and we'll get the rest ourselves! — says Sukhanov.
Steel cable against cumulative jet
Mitrofan Snurnikov, a driver from the Krasnoyarsk Territory, joined the army in 2024 and joined the 114th brigade on the T-72B3M tank. It is difficult to recognize the car: it is covered with a double layer of "dreadlocks" — protection made of steel cables, which replaced the bulky lattice mangalas. In the past, a policeman, Mitrofan mastered a multi-ton machine from scratch.
— Sometimes you don't have to drive here, but literally fly. Recently, under the blows of FPV drones, our communication was cut off. A hit, a command to retreat, we fly back — and a second blow into the side. The wiring was interrupted, I was blind and deaf, I led the guys on intuition and experience," admitted the mechanic.
The driver is Mitrofan Snurnikov
Preparation for each departure now resembles the work of a navigator in a computer simulation. Previously, crews practiced walking to the front edge or driving through the path in ordinary cars to memorize landmarks, but today such walks are excluded.
The platoon commander, Lieutenant Mikhail Karpov, enters into a dispute about technology. Prior to mobilization, he worked for six years in the mines of Makeyevka. Mikhail defends the diesels, although he managed to fight on the T-80 gas turbine engines.
— The T-80 is harder to get through the viscous mud while the engine is spinning up — you're wasting time. And the 72-ka "pulls" from its place, flies out of any muck without any problems," he explains.
Platoon commander, Lieutenant Mikhail Karpov
Karpov participated in the famous "tank carousels" near Pervomaisky, when cars continuously replaced each other, not allowing the enemy to raise their heads. The lieutenant wishes only one thing to his comrades: "Only forward and not a step back."
The Forge of Victory
The gunner-operator, Senior Sergeant Georgy Letodiani, is a Muscovite. He joined the army during the mobilization in 2022 and started in the infantry, but later achieved a transfer to tank crews. His "baptism of fire" as part of the crew was during the storming of Avdiivka.
"We recently worked from a caponier at a target eight kilometers away," Georgy recalls. — We got hit in the tower. Thanks to the protection and powerful electronic warfare, they didn't even feel the hit. They completed the ammunition, went to recharge and returned to finish off the target.
Gunner-operator, Senior Sergeant Georgy Letodiani
Almost all engineering innovations for the modernization of machines are invented right here in the company. The crews cook the frames themselves, fix the protection, adapt the equipment to new threats.
— I would like to wish the families that their sons return home. Victory will be ours, it will be forged with these very hands," says Georgy, showing his palms, which are callused from fuel oil and metal.
The soldiers of the 114th brigade have new tasks ahead. The winter campaign is in full swing, and judging by the mood of the tankers, they plan to celebrate the holidays while moving west.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
