Soon after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian tank crews tried to reinforce the top armor of their turrets with barbecue-like grills and sandbags. This was supposed to protect tanks from Javelin missiles and Bayraktar TB2 strikes. But it has proven inefficient against missiles and loitering ammunition (kamikaze drones).
It doesn’t work, indeed, the Ukrainian Defense Express website writes. “This is evidenced by the interview of Russian tanker Captain Alexei Ukhachev in the publication “Moscow Komsomolets”, which was published after his death in Ukraine: “Tankist-hero told about the special operation and died”.
After six months of testing such a design of cage top protection, the first photos with such “braziers” appeared in July 2021. Only then did the Russians realize that in case a tank is hit and catches fire, it is unrealistic to believe the commander and gunner can get out, as the cage would partly block or dangerously complicate the passage”. Installing “braziers” (top-turret grill-cages) also led to large-scale problems with radio communications in the tank units, as well as the transformation of the tank into a guaranteed mass grave for the commander and gunner. Initially, such shortcomings were not identified but once they became understood, “that’s why everyone removed them and threw the braziers away”, said Captain Alexei Ukhachev.
The information about the problem caused by the cage armor to the radio communications explains the completely chaotic behavior of Russian tankers on the battlefield: they simply had no radio connection, Defense Express writes.