Ukraine's Defense Forces operate Italian-made B1 Centauro wheeled tank destroyers, and newly released footage from the Ukrainian military media outlet Army TV provides a rare glimpse of these vehicles during training exercises with the 78th Separate Air Assault Brigade.
The footage shows the vehicles fitted with standard battlefield anti-drone protection measures, including cage armor, the now widely used Ukrainian anti-drone "hood," and additional "dandelion"-type protective elements.
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Ukrainian servicemen also shared several details about operating the B1 Centauro under combat conditions.
A gunner using the callsign Khilya said the longest-range shot he had fired from the vehicle reached approximately 11 kilometers. According to him, the strike was carried out from a closed firing position and accurately hit a building occupied by russian forces.
The vehicle commander, whose callsign is Director, particularly praised the B1 Centauro's internal communication systems.
"The internal communication here is much better. On the T-72 and T-64, there were situations where we could barely hear either outside communication or each other. When the driver cannot hear the commander, it becomes a serious problem. You try to get through to him, but he just keeps driving forward. Here, perhaps because the engine is quieter, we can hear everything clearly," the serviceman explained.
He also agreed with the common description of the B1 Centauro as a "tank destroyer," noting that its high accuracy is one of the vehicle's key strengths.
At the same time, he emphasized that traditional tank-versus-tank combat has become relatively rare on today’s battlefield because of the overwhelming presence of FPV drones, Molniya UAVs, and other strike systems.
"To even reach that kind of engagement, a vehicle first has to survive all those drones," he explained. "But from closed positions, it fires very effectively and accurately."
The first photographs of B1 Centauro vehicles in Ukrainian service appeared in autumn last year, already fitted with anti-drone protection. Discussions about possible deliveries of these vehicles to Ukraine had been ongoing since 2023.
Based on the footage, Ukrainian forces currently appear to use the B1 Centauro primarily for indirect fire missions from closed positions, reflecting the drone-saturated realities of the modern battlefield.
The exact number of vehicles delivered to Ukraine and the intensity of their combat use remain unknown.
Previously, Defense Express also reported that Ukraine could eventually receive Italian SIDAM-25 anti-aircraft systems for countering Shahed drones, although earlier transfers reportedly involved only converted armored personnel carrier variants.
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