The Pentagon revealed on Tuesday that the mysteriously located Russian tank at a Louisiana truck stop was, in fact, on its way to a US Army training center. The tank had been deactivated and posed no danger to the public, said Sue Gough, a spokesperson for the Pentagon.
The T-90A tank was being transported to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Harford County, Maryland, when the truck carrying it experienced a mechanical problem and stopped off in Roanoke, Louisiana. The site, a Peto’s Travel Center and Casino, is around 1,300 miles away from Harford County.
The tank was most likely abandoned by Russia’s 27th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade in the Kharkiv Oblast of Ukraine last September, according to open source intelligence groups. However, Gough did not confirm that the tank was, in fact, from Ukraine. Gough did note that the tank’s “explosive reactive armor was inert, it was not armed or carrying any dangerous material, and at no point posed a risk to the public.”
The War Zone reported last week that the employees at the travel center and casino were taken aback by the sudden appearance of the tank. Peto’s Travel Center and Casino did not immediately respond to inquiries from Insider.
It remains unclear how the tank made it to the US and what the Pentagon aimed to do with the Russian tank once it had reached the training center. Gough said the tank was part of the US’ “ongoing commitment to provide Ukraine the capabilities it needs to counter Russian aggression.” Aberdeen Proving Grounds did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Aberdeen Proving Grounds is a military training center is Harford County, MD and is responsible for numerous accomplishments in research, engineering and technology. The tank was transported there in order to participate in the US’ mission to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to fight off Russian aggression.
The person responsible for the Pentagon’s knowledge of the tank is spokesperson Sue Gough, who informed The War Zone about the Russian tank being securely on its way to the training center. She revealed that the tank posed no danger to the public and that its explosive reactive armor was inactive.
