"22 Russian Tanks Enter Ukraine" Topic

It appears Russian armor is once again on the move in Eastern Ukraine, with 22 tanks crossing the border:

link

So, is the tank shown a late model T-80U, or UD?

I seem to recall a thread mentioning that you can tell the T-72 from the T-80 by the 7 x smoke dischargers on the left side of the turret (for the latter model), which shows in this pic?

Not sure how to tell a T-80U, from a T-80UD model, or earlier variants. After the T-62/T-64, a lot of the modern tanks all look the same to me, since I haven't seen pics, or drawings of the more modern kit, side by side, to be able to tell the difference.

On the plus side, I guess that means I can substitute some for others on the gaming tabletop.

Also, has anyone looked at which vehicles the Russians/Ukrainians are generally equipped with, as far as tanks and IFVs go?

I know there are some overlaps of the same kit, but suspect there may be some differences too.

Perhaps T-72s for the Ukrainians and T-80s for the Russians, generally?

Both seem to be using the same APCs, though it appears to me from the few photos I've seen, that the Ukrainians have more BMPs, while the Russians are using BMDs (I've seen both sides with these, though) more.

Appears that both use the BTR-80s pretty heavily, and I think I saw at least one BTR-60, or BTR-70 mixed in with a company of BTR-80s, while parked in column on a roadway.

Any thoughts on the above generalizations?

I've got some T-72s and T-80s in 1/144th, so need to acquire some IFVs/APCs, and recon vehicles too. Eventually, when funds permit, want to do this in 15mm as well.

That is a stock photo, not actual pictures of the latest Russian incursion. That pic in your linked Newsweek article is a T-72.

T-80 tanks are a different design of tanks from the T-72s, and can be easily identified by having 3 driver periscopes (T-72 has 1), smaller road wheels, exhaust system located on back and at distance by the snorkel fixed to the back turret (looks like a pipe parallel to the earth).
The lineage of Russian tanks goes like this:
T55-T62-T72-T90
T64-T80-T84

I believe that the Russians have mothballed/scrapped their fleet of T-80Us due to costs (turbine engine, ceramic armor, more complicated design =high maintenance costs)

Only the Ukrainians built & fielded T-80UDs, which has a diesel engine (D) rather than turbine.

Dunno but I've seen quite a few Ukrainian BMDs rolling around too. A lot of the tanks used by both sides appear to be T-64s. Even if Russia doesn't use the T-64 in current service, that doesn't mean they don't have them in mothballs. Plus there is the "plausable deniability" of captured Ukrainian T-64s as well.

Damon.

Perhaps T-72s for the Ukrainians and T-80s for the Russians, generally?

Actually I'd suggest just the opposite, at least for maintained and organized units of the respective regular armies.

The 64/80/84 family is built by Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau in Ukraine ( morozovkmdb.com ). The 72/90 family is built by Uralvagonzavod in Russia.

Ukraine has/had a small supply of heavily modernized T-64's and T-80's in service and has largely standardized around this family because they produce the parts locally. The Russians, as cwlinsj indicated, standardized on the T-72/90 family for similar reasons.

I am quite certain that those Russian tanks are just taking a vacation.

I have to say I was impressed (not) by the level of playground comments displayed by partisans of both sides in the Newsweek piece that was posted – makes liberal websites like the Guardian's in the UK seem positively high brow. Give them all AKs and put them on an island.

Noble 713 is quite right,Russia lost the 64 and 80 with the dissolution of the Soviet state.T-72b and b3 then 90 were their alternate route as repair/replacement parts for the 64/80 became rare and the sting of maintaining a foreign fleet bit deep.Many of the photos found in the conflict are t-64b,bv
,exactly what one would expect to see in a domestic affair.