The British embassy in the Ukrainian capital has tweeted out a snarky guide on how to recognize a Russian tank.
The guide was created to help Russia identify its own T-72BM tanks within Ukrainian territory.
#Putin still denying #Russia's troops & hardware are in #Ukraine. Here's a guide to help the #Kremlin spot its tanks: pic.twitter.com/RYPeeK0Paf
- UK in Ukraine (@UKinUkraine) November 19, 2014
The T-72BM is a signature Russian tank that is not used by the Ukrainian military. This necessitates that the tanks spotted throughout Ukraine were supplied by the Russians to the separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.
According to the graphic from the British embassy, the T-72BM has been spotted at least three times during the ongoing Ukrainian crisis. Photographers managed to capture pictures of it on August 28 near the rebel stronghold of Luhansk, on September 4 in a dug in defensive position, and on October 23 by the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.
Reuters Staff/REUTERS
Russia and the separatists instead claimed that the weapons had been looted from Ukrainian military bases and fleeing soldiers.
The T-72BM is a main battle tank that had been designed and produced during the Soviet Union. The BM model is distinguishable from other T-72 variants by the box-like armor in front of the turret and a larger gunner's sight that is used in conjunction with an anti-tank missile.
NATO warned on Nov. 12 that Russia was once again pouring troops and equipment into Ukraine on a massive scale. Although the exact number of troops was indeterminable, there were at least several convoys headed for the city of Donetsk prompting the Ukrainian president to declare that he was ready for "total war."
(H/t Daniel Sandford)