Russian ‘Barn Tanks’ Deployed to Counter Ukrainian Drone Strikes

Since early April, Russian forces have stepped up the use of so-called “barn tanks” – tanks covered in metal armored boxes to protect them from drone strikes, with an increasing range of new designs appearing on the front line.

In discussion with Kyiv Post, Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (HUR), said that the systematic use of such tanks, which have also been called turtles, has been noticed during the latest Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region and near the town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, where fierce fighting is ongoing.

The modified tanks began to appear as the number and types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drones) deployed by Ukraine expanded and whose first-person view (FPV) drones began to effectively destroy enemy personnel and equipment, Yusov said.

“The Russians started looking for some countermeasures. This involves electronic countermeasures as well as such artisanal engineering structures and facilities as grills or chicken coops, and barns,” Yusov said.

On Monday, May 20, soldiers of the 148th separate artillery brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) told Radio Liberty how Russian troops deployed “barn tanks” in an attack at Novomykhailivka, in the Donetsk region.

According to their account, while conducting reconnaissance using a US Puma drone they spotted a group of three vehicles, led by a “barn tank” in front of assault groups,  being carried by two armored personnel carriers.

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“Our units started working, used artillery and FPV drones and stopped their advance [after] about a kilometer,” a Ukrainian soldier called “Ivan” said.

According to Yusov, these bulky constructions, normally made from improvised materials, need to be supported by the crew from other armored vehicles, even though they currently do limit the effectiveness and complicate the use of Ukraine’s drones against them.

“But for their part, Ukrainian developers and operators are constantly improving [methods] to counter these enemy innovations and are deploying newer and more tactical unmanned aerial vehicles,” Yusov added.

These “barn tanks” are increasingly being used to clear landmines ahead of armored personnel carriers, but not always successfully. A recent video posted on social media shows one of these vehicles trying to break through a minefield at full speed, but a mine explodes, disabling the tank and forcing the crew to flee.

In October last year, Russia’s Uralvagonzavod unveiled new production T-72B3 tanks already fitted with its own design of standardized anti-drone canopy.

Russia’s RIA Novosti reported that "the standardized canopy was developed taking into account the artisanal structures that tankers of the Russian Armed Forces created on their own to protect the key parts of the tank from drones, as well as analyzing the effectiveness of these artisanal canopies in combat situations.”

The Rostec state corporation said that the factory-made canopy was created to protect the roofs of T-72B3 tanks, adding that “this simple but effective solution was suggested by the experience gained during the SVO [special military operation].”

A“The design protects the vehicles and crews well from kamikaze drones and ammunition dropped from drones. Previously, troops used to make such canopies in a handicraft way. Now, new tanks are being equipped with the protective grid as standard.”