01:20 03-06-2026

Rare M55S Tank Destroyed by FPV Drones Near Volchansk

AndrejS.K, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A rare Slovenian M55S tank hidden near Volchansk was found by Russian reconnaissance and destroyed by FPV drones despite extra armor upgrades.

Russian reconnaissance units discovered a rare M55S tank that Ukrainian forces had tried to hide in a forest near Volchansk, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported. After the vehicle was located, drone crews struck it.

The attack followed a familiar pattern. First, copters tore through the tank’s layered protection. Then other drones hit vulnerable areas several times, setting the vehicle on fire. The extra armor added to the tank did not help it withstand the FPV drone strikes.

The M55S is a Slovenian upgrade of the Soviet T-55, a tank Slovenia inherited after the breakup of the Yugoslav People’s Army. The modernization was extensive and carried out with Israeli involvement. The vehicle received a licensed copy of the British 105 mm L7 gun, fitted with a thermal sleeve and electric firing system. Because of the redesign, its ammunition load was reduced from 43 to 39 rounds.

The observation system was also heavily reworked. The gunner and commander received Israeli Fotona sights with a night channel and laser rangefinder. The driver was given a combined day-and-night observation device from the same brand, along with a digital display. The tank’s protection was based on Super Blazer composite explosive reactive armor.

The running gear was upgraded as well. The tank received support rollers and tracks from the M84, the Yugoslav version of the T-72. An Israeli CNR-900 radio station and an internal tank communication system were installed in the turret. To fit them, engineers had to cut an opening in the rear of the turret and create a special niche. The vehicle was also equipped with an automatic fire-suppression system.

Slovenia modernized the T-55 with export sales in mind, but the project failed commercially. Of the 30 M55S tanks produced, only one was sold, bought by a collector for 820,000 euros. Another vehicle was used as a source of spare parts, while the remaining 28 were sent to Ukraine in 2022.

Once in Ukraine, the M55S received additional protection: Soviet Kontakt explosive reactive armor on the front section of the sides and anti-cumulative grilles at the rear. But even this mix of old and new defensive measures did not save the tank, with its unusually varied history, from drone strikes.