A new day started with the usual bombardment of enemies' artillery shells, exploding into blooms of death all around his trench. The man stared at the manga in his palms, gently brushing off the dirt that had fallen on the page. Ivan sighed as he closed his manga and put it inside his pouch. He knew that 15 minutes after the barrage, his unit leader would scream the order to attack again.
No matter where they move, the enemies will always find them the next day, and then what comes next is either more FPV drones or a precision artillery barrage. Ivan graduated from the military academy as a tank commander, yet here he is, stepping into a pool of mud and freezing rainwater, covered in dirt like the rest of his scattered units.
Originally assigned to a T-90M Main Battle Tank battalion, Ivan survived when he exited his vehicle to take a piss, everyone else inside his tank were obliterated by a FPV drone dive bombing upon them. Ivan was then placed into a unit that was formed with other scattered units.
Luckily, this 'unit' had some left-overs from their previous forces, and Ivan got his hands on a T-64BV, which was captured from the enemy during one of their rarely successful retaliation by the previous units, although they were pushed back rather quickly the next day.
As a veteran, Ivan made it through numerous situations; however, that doesn't mean those around him share his luck. Most of Ivan's crews were killed due to obvious reasons; the longest time they'd lasted was two hours and 42 minutes. They stopped next to a wreck to repair the engine, then the crew was taken out by snipers. Ivan hid underneath his tank and stayed there until his unit got to him.
Then his reputation began to spread; none of them wanted to be Ivan's crew, but a tank isn't going to drive itself. Ivan's current crew: Alexander Markarov as the gunner, a young man, around his early 20s, and Dimitri Petrov as the driver, just a year older than Ivan himself.
As the barrage slowly died down, Ivan's mind drifted back home. His father was a drunkard, left his family when he was five, and his mother worked her body off to raise him and his sister Maria. Unfortunately, the overworking, unhealthy habit cost Ivan's mother her life, Breast Cancer.
Before departing due to a military operation, as told by his unit leader, Maria started dating. a year into this so-called 'operation', which everyone knew it by now it's a war, Maria was married, and Ivan missed it. Now, three years into the war, his nephew is about to celebrate his second birthday, yet the conflict seems far from over. The enemy airstrikes and offensive became more aggressive, and the command has been reacting passively recently, which is draining the morale of the rest of the army.
"GET TO YOUR POSITIONS!!!" Ivan was forced back to reality by the bark of their platoon leader.
"Here we go again..."
"Wonder how many we're gonna lose today..."
Ivan waited until the smoke was clear, then quickly pulled himself out of the trench and made his way far behind the front line, where his T-64BV was hidden under camouflage nets and an infrared interference system. Alex and Dimitri joined him on his way.
"We're pushing again," Alex said with a sigh.
"No shit," Ivan muttered.
Their tank was hidden down a pit, originally dug to use as a stationary cover site for defensive operations. Ivan took off the camouflage net and climbed into the turret. Alex and Dimitri followed quickly behind.
"Ivan, you think we'll make it?" Alex sat beside Ivan and checked the FCS. He asked without looking at his commander.
"Don't ask me, my luck will run out in time." As he flicked the radio onto their unit's frequency, Ivan said, "All of us will."
He then shouted, "Dimitri! Start her up!"
The response was the sudden vibration of the tank, followed by the roar of the 700 horsepower 5TDF engine as white smoke exploded from the exhaust pile. It cleared eventually as the engine began to function normally.
"Alright, let's move." The T-64BV slowly backed out from the pit, making a swift turn towards the muddy road. It then drove its way to the frontline, grouping up with the remaining armored units for an assault.
The atmosphere inside the tank is thick, but the outside air is thicker. Nobody dared to completely open their hatches, fearing another FPV drone strike out of nowhere.
Ivan was looking out through the commander's optic, then it came by as quickly as it had lasted; A BMP-2 vehicle in front of the group erupted into a fireball, followed by the screams of infantry escaping from the wreckage. Another explosion followed by the familiar yet terrifying noise emitted only by FPV drones.
"Blyat!" Dimitri cursed, "Here they come!"
"Get us off the road," Ivan spotted the woods next to them, "Get in the woods, let the branches deal with the drones!" Dimitri made a hard right turn into the woods. Alex winced as he head banged against the steel wall of the turret. Behind them, a bigger explosion came as a T-72's turret was thrown sky high; a FPV drone carrying a HEAT warhead slammed right onto the top of the tank's turret, which set off every single stored rounds below the turret ring and cooked the tank inside-out. There were no survivors.
Ivan flinched upon hearing another explosion on top of them, luckily for them, one of the branches slammed into the mortar round carried by an FPV drone right on the fuse.
Dmitri didn't stop as they left the rest of their unit behind; they already knew that the guys behind were most likely dead by now.
The trees began to clear as large open ground came into view.
"Stop." Dimitri stepped on the brake; the only sound that could be heard, except for the low rumbling of the engine, was... nothing. Too quiet for an active warzone.
Alex traversed the turret left to right, scanning the surrounding area, looking for any suspicious movements.
"Alex, get a HEAT around into the breach," Ivan ordered. Then the autoloader pushed both the HEAT around and the charge bag into the breach. Ivan flicked on the thermal and immediately he spotted a white spot hidden behind a bush about 600 feet from him. And from a small, crate-looking bulge rising from the side of the enemy vehicle's turret, it has become clear.
"Gunner! 40 degrees! Single Bradley! 623!" Ivan shouted.
The turret came to a stop, followed by Alex, "AIMED!"
"FIRE!" Just as the order was given, the Bradley flared, then a very familiar object came streaking their way. Ivan's eyes widened, "DIMITRI EVADE!!!" Due to the sudden movement, Alex's arms twisted the turret a bit off to the left as he pressed the pickle button. Causing the HEAT round to explode next to the Bradley instead of hitting the target.
Right as the T-64BV retreated to the woods, the TOW missile hit a tree in front of them, obliterating the plant.
"REPEAT FIRE!" Ivan stood his ground as the autoloader shuffed another HEAT around into the breach, with a firm press on the pickle button, the tank rocked backward as the main gun fired. The Bradley IFV already backed off as its TOW missile missed, the HEAT round hammered right into the engine compartment instead of hitting the crew compartment. The Bradley came to a sudden halt as flames erupted from the wounded part.
"Hit!" Ivan sighed in relief. Then, an explosion coming from the left rocked his tank, and for a split second, Ivan thought that was it. Luckily, whoever fired that shot hit one of the ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) plates hanging on the side skirt.
"ALEX TRAVERSE LEFT! DIMITRI, TURN THE FRONT HULL TOWARDS THE HOSTILE!"
Just as the tank changed position, another enemy shot streaked past the turret and bounced off the ground behind them.
"I see it!" Ivan had his eyes on the hostile tanl, "Damn, that's a goddamn Leopard!"
"Sabot UP!" Alex aimed the gun at the Leopard 2, which was driving out of the cover, straight at them, "AIMED!"
"Fire!"
The shot rammed straight into the left track of the Leopard, forcing the tank to jerk left, yet their gun is still pointed at them.
Then, they fired.
Ivan felt the world around him spin rapidly as a ringing filled his ears; they're definitely hit, the massive shook their tank into a deadly pause. Ivan sniffed; he smelled something burning. "Blayt, don't tell me they hit the fuel tank..."
"Dimitri! How's the transmission?" There's no response, "Dimitri?!"
"Ivan, we gotta get out!" Alex coughed, "That sabot went straight through the transmission and fuel tank, Dimitri's right behind the transmission..."
"ЕБАТЬ!" Ivan banged his fist against the steel. "Is the turret ring operational?"
"Ivan?" Alex looked pale.
"They must've think we're dead, give me another sabot and fuck them up," Alex grunted as he loaded another sabot round into the breach. Ivan spots the Leopard 2's turret back facing them, then its crew climbed out of the turret with a repair box. Alex traversed the turret and aimed straight at the Leopard 2's back turret, where their ammunition is stored.
Before Ivan could call out, he heard the familiar sound of the TOW missile engine ignition, and then he felt the entire vehicle shake violently. Why are his legs so hot all of a sudden?
Ivan's eyes glanced downward and saw the ammunition rack below him glowing white- no, his entire world was white...
A Bradley following behind the Leopard 2 saw the T-64BV's movement, and immediately gave them a TOW missile. This time, the TOW missile went straight for the top of the T-64BV's turret, and it detonated, sending a molten metal jet straight down the turret and reaching the ammunition rack.
There was a devastating explosion as the T-64BV's turret was thrown up high, then followed by a huge explosion.
Just another day on the battlefield.