The Russian main battle tank T-72B3M, thanks to the "mangal" protection complex, withstood 40 drone strikes. Despite drones hitting the V-92S2F diesel engine, the crew was able to start the vehicle and drive away.
Initially, the tank stalled after the first attacks. But then it turned out that the drones only broke the triplexes. It can be concluded that until the "Arena-M" active protection appears on tanks everywhere, "mangals" also cope quite well.
The tests of the T-72B3M with "Arena-M" first became known in February 2026. At that time, Uralvagonzavod reported that the system had proven to be very reliable.
T-72B3M crews also found an unusual way to deceive reconnaissance drones – after completing a fire mission, they began to simulate a fire. Then the tank is simply not visible in thick clouds of smoke, and the position remains uncompromised.