Why the capture of a Russian T-90M tank matters

UKRAINE’S RAPID offensive in Kharkiv, in the country’s north-east, brought many prizes. Swathes of territory have been won back and Ukraine’s army captured around a brigade’s worth of military equipment from the fleeing Russians. One of the greatest surprises uncovered was a single T-90M tank. It is one of at least 380 Russian tanks seized since the war began, yet it is uniquely useful. What is the T-90M tank, and why does it matter?

Seizing a weapon can provide valuable insight into the state of an enemy’s military technology. That makes countries protective of their weapons in war. American efforts to inspect the T-72 throughout the Cold War backfired on several occasions, until a rogue Romanian arms dealer sold one to American agents in 1987, supposedly as scrap metal. The deal was later uncovered and made public by the KGB. The prized T-72 had been in service for 14 years before America finally had a chance to inspect it, by which time it had already been superseded. By contrast, the T-90M has been in service for just two years.