The 22nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received PT-91 Twardy tanks handed over by Poland.

The press service of the brigade published the photo of the equipment on social media.

РТ-91 Twardy tanks were produced on the basis of a licensed version of the Soviet Т-72М1 MBT, with characteristics similar to the well-known T-72A tank. In total, the Polish government transferred 60 tanks of this type to Ukraine as part of military aid.

The photo captures the process of a unit of mechanics and, presumably, crew members assembling a broken tank track in the field conditions.

During the modernization, the Polish-made ERAWA reactive armor additionally strengthened the protection of the tank and the crew. It belongs to the first generation and is capable of countering basic non-tandem HEAT munitions.

Besides, the tank’s protection is reinforced by the Obra-4 laser warning system, which warns the crew about the targeting of laser rangefinders and weapons guidance systems through laser beams.

The firepower of the RT-91 has increased due to the integration of a new fire control system, along with the gunner’s thermal sight.

The RT-91 is equipped with a new Polish-made 850 hp PZL-Wola S-12U diesel engine, which replaced the outdated Soviet-era 780 hp V-46-4 engine.

22nd Mechanized Brigade’s Tank Battalion

As part of the deployment of the reborn 22nd Mechanized Brigade, its tank battalion received a rather interesting set of armor of rather exotic models.

The Brigade not only has the Polish PT-91 but also the so-called simplified version of T-72AMT, which Ukrainian defense enterprises started to manufacture already after the beginning of the Russian invasion.

The combat vehicle received improved surveillance means and sights, additional protection, and a number of structural changes. This simplified the production of tanks in wartime conditions. You can read more about these tanks in this article.

Also, the reborn brigade has at least one tank platoon of rather rare T-72 Ural tanks, which have undergone an unknown modernization. The tanks were probably brought back from one of the tank cemeteries and restored. The tanks received reactive armor and upgraded sights. Militarnyi previously reported on this modernization in detail.