T-64 Main Battle Tank

First Soviet tank with composite armour and autoloader (1960s), outdoor exhibit Kyiv.

The T-64 was a quantum leap in Soviet tank design: the first vehicle to combine composite armour, a compact engine, an autoloader, and a 125mm smoothbore gun — all in a 38-tonne package. Developed in Kharkiv by Alexander Morozov, it was significantly more advanced than the concurrent T-62 and T-72. Unlike those tanks, the T-64 was never exported and served exclusively in Soviet tank divisions.