The June engagement may end up in military textbooks, Dmitry Peskov suggested
A Russian Army T-90 M “Proryv” tank drives along a road in the course of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, in the direction of the town of Krasnyi Lyman, also known as Lyman, Donetsk People’s Republic, Russia. © Sputnik/Evgeny Biyatov
The Russian soldiers involved in a battle in which a single tank supported by a handful of teams on the ground ambushed an entire Ukrainian armored column inspire pride and definitely deserve military decorations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Footage of the tense engagement filmed from a drone, complete with agitated chatter between its operator and an identified unit leader, went viral last week, after being published on social media. Asked about it on Tuesday, Peskov confirmed that the presidential office had watched it too and was left in awe.
“Such heroism, professionalism inspires pride and admiration of our military,” he said. “That footage and the situation were unique, almost fit for a textbook case study.”
The Kremlin official wouldn’t say whether the censored version of the video shown by Russian media or the original, which was full of profanity, was circulated in President Vladimir Putin’s office.
Instead, he expressed confidence that the troops would receive military decorations for their actions. The Defense Ministry said later in the day that the relevant paperwork was in the pipeline and confirmed that the clash had taken place in June on the frontline in Zaporozhye Region.
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The video showed the single tank, which has since been nicknamed Alyosha after a call sign mentioned in the Russian communications, driving towards a column of two Ukrainian tanks and at least five US-made MRAP M1224 MaxxPro vehicles.
The drone operator called him a “beautiful crazy kamikaze” and urged other troops on the ground to provide support fire with anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns. Meanwhile, the tank started maneuvering and shooting at the enemy.
The adversary’s force was apparently obliterated. The Ukrainian tanks reportedly drove over anti-tank mines that they didn’t expect to encounter and then were hit by artillery and shots by the Russian tank. Alyosha was reportedly unscathed in the standoff, which barely lasted ten minutes.
