Russian "Kamikaze" Tank Carrying 6 Tons of TNT Blows Up in Epic Fireball

The moment a tank packed with explosives and sent by Russian forces to Ukraine's front lines blowing up before it reached its target has been captured on video.

The clip possibly indicates a new Russian tactic in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, whereby old tanks are loaded with explosives and sent towards Ukrainian battlefield positions before being detonated remotely.

The footage was initially shared on the Telegram account of Russian military blogger Romanov, who said the vehicle had been carrying six tons of explosives.

Open-source experts said that it was a converted T-54/55 tank that was produced after the Second World War. The incident has been geolocated to Marinka in the Donetsk oblast, which has seen heavy fighting since the start of Kyiv's counteroffensive this month.

The tank was sent to Ukrainian positions but was blown up by a mine around 100 yards before it reached Ukrainian trenches, before being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, according to reports. The video shows the explosion and the smoky aftermath of the strike.

Romanov described the vehicle as "the most powerful kamikaze drone" in what was a mocking reference to the Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that Russia has used to hit civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine. "Experiments with the creation of kamikaze drones continue," the post added.

Eliot Higgins, founder of investigative website Bellingcat, also shared the video, tweeting: "Ukraine learns strategy and tactics from NATO Russia learns it from ISIS."

Independent Russian language news outlet Agentstva reported that it was "not the first time the Russian military has used old Soviet technology as self-propelled bombs."

On June 17, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it had blown up a Ukrainian forces stronghold using an explosive-packed MT-LB armored personnel carrier.

It said that the tank was filled with "about 3.5 tons of TNT and five FAB-100 bombs" that were detonated by remote control." Drone footage showed a static tank and then a huge explosion. A Russian tank commander with the callsign "Bernaul" said in the video he had been tasked with the attack, in which "the enemy suffered significant losses."

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment.

In March, the open-source Conflict Intelligence Team reported that old Soviet tanks like the T-54s were being transported across Russia from the country's far eastern Primorsky Krai region. It prompted speculation over whether they would be used on the frontline to make up for high equipment losses.