Yemeni Houthi rebels were able to set fire to a World War II-era T-34 army tank.
On 24 January, the Yemen Observer Twitter account released incredible footage showed the moment pro-Saudi forces T-34-85 tank was hit by a modern anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).
According to Yemen Observer, Houthis fighters destroyed a T-34-85 tank with an ATGM near
The T-34 was the backbone of Soviet armor in World War II and beyond. Some 57,000 were built before the war ended in 1945, a number so large that “availability in numbers certainly played well for the Soviets as T-34s could swarm enemy positions seemingly at will,” militaryfactory.com says.
T-34 production continued into the Cold War, with more than 80,000 produced in all. Thousands were exported around the world.
As its designation indicates, this version featured an 85mm main gun, which significantly boosted its firepower, especially against late-war Nazi medium and heavy tanks.
The tank was already well known for its speed, mobility, armor protection, and reliability, and is generally considered one of, if not the best all-around medium tank of the war.
World War II-era T-34 tanks are currently in service of Yemen army and take part of the ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions: the internationally recognized Yemeni government, led by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the Houthi armed movement, along with their supporters and allies.
Also, media reported that the batch of 30 T-34 medium tanks purchased from Laos arrived in Russia in early January. Media reports on 9 January, citing local sources, stated that the first T-34 medium tanks have arrived in Russia as part of military-technical cooperation with Laos.