Russia's massive exploding tank bombs make a big boom but don't do much damage, UK intel says

• Russia is filling armored vehicles with explosives and directing them at Ukraine's troops, the UK MOD said.
• But it hasn't had much of an impact, it said, with most detonated before they reached their targets.
• The MOD said there was a good chance Chechen forces were pioneering the use of the tactic.

Russia is loading aged armored vehicles with explosives and driving them towards Ukrainian troops, but despite making a huge explosion they are doing little damage, according to UK intelligence.

The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Thursday that there had been several reports of Russian forces "using antiquated armoured vehicles packed with several tonnes of explosives as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs)."

But most of them have "certainly detonated before they reached their target through a combination of anti-tank mines and direct fire," the MOD said.

It did say that the tactic causes "extremely large explosions, which are still likely to have a psychological effect on defending forces."

It also added that Russian crews likely bailed out of the vehicles after setting them on their course.

Russian war blogger Romanov_92 shared footage on Telegram last month of what he said was a captured Ukrainian tank that Russian forces had filled with explosives and sent back towards Ukrainian positions.

The account said the tank blew up after hitting a mine before it reached Ukraine's lines.

—Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) June 21, 2023

Mark Hertling, a retired US general, criticized Russia's strategy on Twitter last month: "Pack a tank with explosives, have a volunteer drive it, then jump off after pointing it toward the enemy. What a stupid way to conduct armored operations by the Russians."

But Russia's defense ministry said over the weekend that it had successfully destroyed a Ukrainian stronghold using the tactic.

A Russian tank was recently hit by a drone and made such a big fireball that it engulfed the whole vehicle, which experts said showed it was likely filled with explosives, Insider's Sam Fellman reported last month. No crew was seen trying to leave the tank.

According to the UK MOD, most uses of this tactic have been recorded near Marinka, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been obliterated in the fighting. It also said its use started days after Chechen units came to the area as reinforcements.

"There is a realistic possibility that Chechen forces are pioneering the tactic," the MOD said.

Chechen forces have mostly been operating outside of Russia's military command during the conflict, but recently signed contracts with Russia's defense ministry to be brought under the ministry's control.

The MOD said Chechen fighters have been associated with the use of improvised explosive devices since the Chechen Wars that began in the 1990s.