Soldiers of the 12th Azov Brigade, in an exclusive interview with Militarnyi, revealed where they acquired these rare vehicles and how they were modernized at the tank crew’ request.

“Navin,” the deputy company commander for armament of the 1st Tank Company of the Azov Tank Battalion, shared this information with Militarnyi.

The donor of the heavy equipment for the guards was the Russian 4th Kantemir Tank Division, which was defeated in the Kharkiv region, and from which the same T-80Us were captured and subsequently restored.

These vehicles are the best tanks of the Soviet Union and still have serious potential, but at the Azov soldiers’ initiative, it was decided to modernize their equipment to meet the requirements of the modern battlefield. The project’s developers remain secretive, but the brigade funded it independently.

The main upgrade to the tanks is a new built-in dynamic armor that covers a larger area of the vehicle. In the middle, it is equipped with new Ukrainian Knife elements, which, in addition to protecting against cumulative ammunition, can also neutralize kinetic sub-caliber shells.

“Most of the feedback on this type of dynamic protection comes from Azov tankers who carried out the most challenging combat missions during the Battle of Mariupol in 2022. Our tanks engaged numerous enemy vehicles, including tanks, various types of infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and anti-tank weapons. Not a single Azov tanker was killed inside a tank, even after a direct hit,” says Navin.

The tanks were additionally equipped with anti-motion grilles and under-turret nets. Behind the turret, a niche was welded to act as a trunk and cover the vulnerable area of the engine compartment, which is often targeted by FPV drones. Other improvements are in store for the Eighties:

“War is becoming more and more digitalized and includes more and more remote warfare capabilities: barrage shells, drones with drops, FPV. That is why vehicles will be equipped with electronic warfare devices. Anti-drone frames with special nets (the so-called “hoods”) will also be installed. Some vehicles already have them installed, and some are still waiting for them.”

Azov tankers appreciate the T-80U for its high mobility and maneuverability: the vehicles are equipped with a gas turbine engine with a capacity of 1,250 horsepower. This is almost twice as much as the old versions of the T-72 or T-64.

An important advantage of this tank is its transmission, which allows it to reach high speeds in reverse and quickly leave the firing position after completing the task. In contrast, older Soviet vehicles can reach no more than 5 km/h in reverse, which forces their tankers to turn aft toward enemy positions for a rapid retreat.

Such features are extremely critical on the modern battlefield, where the tactics of using tanks involve their pointed engagement to perform a combat task, after which they immediately withdraw to avoid enemy fire being focused on them.

“The role of tanks in Azov’s tactics is that of an armored, large-caliber shield for infantry. The large tank columns of the past no longer exist. The enemy generally operates in small groups, mostly using light or medium vehicles. When it is necessary to inflict significant damage on enemy vehicles or infantry hiding in buildings or defensive structures, a tank is deployed for direct fire or to engage from concealed positions. The use of tanks is highly situational,” noted Navin.