A daring long‑range shot
On a recent battlefield report, a Ukrainian artillery crew achieved one of the longest indirect tank gun shots of the war, striking a structure where Russian soldiers were gathered from roughly 11,100 metres away.
The weapon behind the hit was an Italian‑built B1 Centauro tank destroyer, a lightly armored 8×8 platform that carries a NATO‑standard 105‑mm cannon, normally intended for anti‑tank work but now pressed into a fire‑support role.
A NATO gun on Ukrainian wheels
The B1 Centauro’s gunner, operating under the call sign Khilya, lined up the shot and delivered a direct hit on the building, a feat that underscores the growing reliance on armored units to provide artillery fire when traditional mortars and rockets are scarce.
Such long‑range engagements are not unprecedented; other Ukrainian crews have previously claimed hits at similar distances, reflecting a tactical shift toward using tank guns as makeshift artillery in a conflict saturated with drones.
Drone‑filled skies
The commander of the same crew, known as Director, noted that tank‑to‑tank confrontations have become increasingly perilous because enemy drones can spot and target armored vehicles with alarming speed.
To counter this threat, the Centauro involved in the strike was fitted with metal cages designed to disrupt the guidance of incoming drones, a modification that illustrates the ad‑hoc innovations emerging on the front lines.
These wheeled tank destroyers first entered Ukrainian service in 2023, and their deployment marks a broader effort to supplement conventional artillery with mobile, high‑mobility firepower that can operate both as a gun and as a shield against aerial threats.