Russia has begun deploying upgraded T-72B3A main battle tanks equipped with the Arena-M active protection system to frontline combat units, claiming the technology can defeat one of the biggest threats on the modern battlefield – first-person-view (FPV) drones.
The rollout comes as newly leaked documents suggest the system fits into a far broader Russian-Chinese effort to redesign armored warfare around active protection, artificial intelligence (AI) and drone integration.
According to Russian state-controlled outlet Izvestia, frontline crews have already begun training with the upgraded vehicles before they are assigned to assault groups attacking Ukrainian fortified positions.
The announcement marks one of Russia’s strongest public claims yet that it has found an answer to the FPV drone threat that has devastated armored formations throughout more than four years of full-scale war.
While independent verification of Arena-M’s battlefield performance remains unavailable, newly published documents obtained by The Insider, Der Spiegel and Le Monde suggest Moscow’s push to modernize its armored forces extends well beyond a single protection system.
The leaked files describe years of previously undisclosed military cooperation with China focused on developing next-generation armored vehicles equipped with AI-driven active protection, unmanned turrets and integrated drone capabilities.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) also told Kyiv Post that China and Russia have conducted regular bilateral military internships, with over 180 Russian troops trained in China in November 2025 alone and over 550 Chinese troops trained in Russia in known reports.
