The Mykolaiv Regiment of Public Order Protection of the National Guard of Ukraine has released pictures from their tank platoon’s recent training exercise at a firing range. These images prominently feature modified T-62 tanks, equipped with “barbecue grille” armor and the Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor blocks.
According to the information accompanying the photos, the National Guard tank crews are preparing these T-62 tanks for potential combat deployment against russian forces, which justifies additional protective modifications. The appearance of captured T-62 tanks in Ukrainian military service is a rare occurrence, making these pictures particularly significant. Notably, the tanks in the training images were shown without added “barbecue grilles” or Kontakt-1 blocks, suggesting they may have been used solely for training purposes.
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It’s important to recall that the T-62 tank was last observed in Ukrainian service during April 2024, when newly-formed mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted training exercises. The rarity of captured T-62 tanks in Ukrainian units has been widely discussed, but several key factors should be reiterated to underscore the significance of their appearance in the National Guard’s operations.
First, open-source intelligence estimates that Ukrainian forces have captured approximately 44 T-62 tanks, many of which were abandoned by russian troops due to damage. This has limited their operational viability. Furthermore, the T-62 tank’s main armament, the 2A20 smoothbore gun, uses non-standard 115 mm caliber, making ammunition scarce and further restricting their use.
There was also a proposal to convert the T-62 tank into an infantry fighting vehicle by mounting the BMP-2 turret, but this idea appears to have been constrained by resource limitations.
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