Intelligence officials have been able to discover key weaknesses and examine secret systems on Russia’s most advanced operational tank captured by Ukraine.
Western scientists have been able to scrutinise the T-90M, including its specialist armour and targeting systems, after it was abandoned by fleeing Russian troops late last month following Ukraine's lightning offensive in the Kharkiv region.
It was found in near perfect condition with only one track missing.
Specialist teams will likely now be able to unlock the tank's sophisticated defence systems that include Nakidka stealth material that absorbs heat and radio signals, potentially cloaking it from Nato surveillance aircraft while offering protection from precision-guided missiles.
The National understands that the prize tank has been taken to an undisclosed location in western Ukraine or Poland where technicians have been able to minutely inspect its systems.
“It is in a lab being disassembled with tech reports sent back to the US and the UK for exploitation,” said a security source.
“It is a question understanding the tank and its defensive mechanisms that will help us to overcome them.”
The technical reports will include the inspection of the tank’s active protection system called Afghanit, which can intercept missiles at short range.
While the T-90M, which costs $5 million and has a crew of three, has the standard explosive reactive armour, its main metal composite protection was a secret.
Papers will also be written on the T-90M's computerised fire-control system as well and the 125mm gun’s ability to fire guided shells that have a longer range and are up to 20 per cent more accurate than Russia’s standard tank guns.
The tank has the latest Russian aiming device, giving it a “hunter-killer engagement capability” where the tank commander uses a panoramic sight with thermal vision to track targets, something standard on most Nato systems.
“The T-90M has got a much more modern suite of explosive reactive armour designed around the shape of the vehicle and its turret,” said Sam Cranny-Evans of the Rusi think tank.
“This tank will undergo technical exploitation that can be highly valuable in terms of next-generation lethality.”
The vehicle also has an upgraded weapon systems with a revised auto-loader that can fit longer projectiles that have much greater penetration than the standard T-90 variant developed in the nineties.
A T-90M that was spotted in 2021 also had a telescopic mast fitted with optical sensors, which will be examined if it is on the captured vehicle.
“This will add to the information that the West has gained by its access to captured Russian equipment that include missiles that have crashed in Ukraine without exploding,” said Brig Ben Barry, a Russian military specialist.
“Like the tank, we will now be able to analyse those in detail and work out better ways to stop them.”
Brig Barry added scientists would now be able to discover the “the weaknesses of Russian armour” that would help Nato and its allies defeat Moscow’s most advanced modern tanks.
Fourteen years passed before the US was able to get hold of a T-72 tank when it became operational but now it has the latest T-90 only two years after it entered service.
It had been thought that the Russians were holding back their advanced T-90Ms, which only became operational in April 2020, for fear they would be needed in a wider conflict with Nato.
But their heavy tank losses, which include 380 captured intact by Ukraine, have led to Moscow deploying its most modern arms to hold back the Ukrainian offensive that, western officials disclosed on Tuesday, was penetrating further into Russian-seized territory.
While the Russians have ordered 400 of the new tanks, it is believed only 40 have been delivered to the 1st Guards Tank Army, which receives the latest equipment, as it is supposed to defend Moscow and is the most loyal to President Vladimir Putin.
The ability to examine the new turret will “provide a greater level of insight into its armour composition”, said Andrew Galer of Janes, the defence intelligence provider
Foreign militaries will be able to examine its internal mission systems as well as “their impact on crew reaction times, possible blind spots and real use statistics”, he added.
However, all tanks are still vulnerable to the “top-down” missile attack on their turrets, which potentially accounted for the first ever T-90M being knocked out in the summer.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More on animal trafficking
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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