T-72B3

Russia's most numerous upgraded main battle tank — a deep modernization of stored T-72B hulls with enhanced firepower, protection, and mobility, serving as the armored backbone in the war in Ukraine.

Overview

The T-72B3 is a modernized Russian main battle tank derived from the Soviet T-72B. Developed as a cost-effective upgrade to extend the life of thousands of stored T-72B hulls, it combines a 125 mm smoothbore gun, a carousel autoloader, Kontakt-5 or Relikt explosive reactive armor, and a 1,130 hp diesel engine. The baseline T-72B3 (obr. 2011) entered service in 2012; the improved T-72B3M (obr. 2016) followed in 2017, adding Relikt side skirts, a panoramic commander's sight, and other refinements. The type is the most widely fielded Russian tank in the ongoing war in Ukraine, where it has borne the brunt of both offensive operations and attrition.

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