The BMPT-2 “Terminator” officially entered the war in Ukraine, the launch of this powerful weapon by Russia is said to be to create a breakthrough on the fierce battlefield that is in a tense position.
The BMPT-2 “Terminator” was sent by Russia to the border with Ukraine just before the special military operation took place on February 24. However, they have only officially entered the war in the past few days.
The image of the BMPT-2 “Terminator” participating in the war in eastern Ukraine has just been posted by several users in social sites. The BMPT-2 “Terminator” can be seen fighting with other main tanks of the Russian army in the Donbas region.
Russian media reported that at least 10 BMPT-2s were launched into the Ukrainian battlefield. Russia’s decision to launch the BMPT-2 “terminator” into the Ukrainian battlefield is said to create an advantage when the fierce war here is in a tug-of-war position.
#Ukraine: Apparently, for the first time, the famous Russian BMPT Terminator tank support infantry fighting vehicles were deployed in combat in #Luhansk Oblast- they were struck by Ukrainian artillery fire, but survived. pic.twitter.com/U8erEOH4gB
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) May 27, 2022
In the context of the Ukrainian army’s fierce resistance, the Russian armored forces suffered serious damage in major cities, it is understandable to launch the BMPT-2 into combat.
As we can see in the photo posted on Facebook by Yuri Butusov, the BMPT Terminator 2 was used to support the tanks on open ground. Originally, this vehicle was designed primarily for urban fights, although under certain conditions it can operate effectively in open terrain. Once again, however, it should be emphasized that the number of these vehicles in service with the Russian army is 10 machines and they are quite expensive.Â
On the other hand, the use of such a “rare” vehicle in a certain direction may prove how important it is for the Russians – because the loss of just a few Terminators may reduce the level of equipment in the Russian army with this equipment by several dozen percent. The Terminators may be replaced in the future by the heavy T-15 IFV on the Armata platform, but deliveries must begin first.
The second photo posted by Rob Lee on Twitter shows Terminator 2 at a standstill, possibly after the events of the first photo. According to the author, this equipment was most likely used to support the activities of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDF). This can be inferred from the presence of the landing combat vehicle (BMD) in the photo.
Photo of BMPT tank support combat vehicles near Severodonetsk after taking part in combat. It seems they're supporting VDV units.https://t.co/wmkorGaic2 pic.twitter.com/7lE37jRo2U
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 27, 2022
From the beginning of the war – the Russian “ground force” often plays the role of mechanized infantry, although it was not entirely created for this purpose. You can also see an attempt to increase the resistance of the rear of the vehicle by implementing additional armor. Bent elements of the bar armor may indicate that the cars have been fired to some extent – it is not certain which weapon system is used. However, there was information about the artillery fire.
The BMPT “Terminator” is a heavy tank fire support vehicle developed and manufactured by Uralvagonzavod. It was designed at the turn of the century as a response to the painful experience of the Russian army with the use of BMP-1 / BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles to support tanks during the First Chechen War. The BMPs turned out to be too poorly armored and armed. For this reason, it was decided to develop a heavily armed and armored vehicle mounted on a tank carrier.Â
The chassis of this vehicle is a modified T-72 or T-90 Main Battle Tank. It is mounted on a specially designed manned turret module, armed with two 30mm 2A42 autocannons (with 850 rounds in reserve) and a PKTM 7 tank machine gun, 62 mm (with a reserve of 2,100 rounds) and two twin 9M120 Ataka anti-tank guided missile launchers. The crew consists of three people (commander, driver and weapons operator), and other technical parameters are similar to those of the original chassis.
BMPT units will appear in two tank regiments of the 90th Panzer Division (TD). And in the future, BMPTs may also appear in the motorized rifle regiment of this formation. Previously, these machines were tested, all exams were passed successfully. “Terminators” showed themselves well in battle in the city, in the mountains, and also as anti-tank combat vehicles.
In 2017, Terminators were tested in Syria . Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said that it was this experience that made it possible to make a decision to purchase a new type of military equipment. In the same year, state tests were completed and the machine received approval for mass production.