Russia arrests army colonel accused of stealing T-90 super tank engine

Russian T-90 tank (Photo: Sputnik).

Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Colonel Alexander Denisov was arrested for allegedly stealing seven V-92S2 engines worth 20.5 million rubles (about $253,000) between November 2021 and April 2022. These are engines for Moscow's T-90 main battle tank.

Denisov, who was in charge of technical support for tanks in Russia's Southern Military District, was arrested last month near Rostov in southern Russia and charged with "stealing parts intended for installation on tanks," according to Russian media.

Prosecutors at the Rostov military court accused Colonel Denisov of selling the stolen engines on the black market. Mr Denisov has so far maintained his innocence.

In 2019, two other Russian military officers were convicted of similar theft.

The 45-ton T-90, with a crew of three, a 125-mm gun and composite armor, is one of Russia's most advanced tanks. It has a top speed of over 60km/h and is armed with a 7.62mm PKTM 6P7K machine gun mounted on the turret.

Since entering service in the early 1990s, the T-90 has become the backbone of Russian armored divisions. The tanks are characterized by their lightness and agility. They are currently powered primarily by a 12-cylinder V-92S2 engine produced at the Chelyabinsk plant near the Ural Mountains.

Each engine weighs about a ton and can produce 1,000 horsepower. When it was introduced in 2000, the V-92S2 engine was considered the best and most powerful tank engine in the Russian military.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-bat-dai-ta-quan-doi-bi-cao-buoc-danh-cap-dong-co-sieu-tang-t-90-20230428161429812.htm