Servicemen from the Russian Armed Forces’ «West» group have begun fitting T-80BV tanks with a new add-on protection system known as «Yozh» («Hedgehog»), designed to improve survivability against drone attacks.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the system was developed by specialists from the repair company of the 13th Tank Regiment, part of the 4th Guards Tank Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army.

The structure consists of a metal frame covered with 1,300 elements made from unraveled steel cables. Visually, the components resemble dense bundles of wire, similar to stiff metal brushes mounted around the vehicle.

The commander of the repair company, known by the call sign «Ton», said the protective system has already been tested in combat. He reported that tanks equipped with the additional shielding retained their combat capability even after sustaining multiple enemy strikes.

He explained that the key feature of this upgraded «grill» design is the denser coverage it provides, specifically against FPV and other attack drones. According to him, vehicles fitted with the «Yozh» system are capable of withstanding up to twenty drone attacks.

The effectiveness of the design lies in its engineering approach. The added framework complicates a drone’s approach and detonation, while also reducing the impact of cumulative munitions used by Ukrainian forces against Russian armored vehicles.