Moscow has declared that Western-supplied armor would “burn like the rest”
© Telegram / BOBRMORF
Newly published battlefield footage from the conflict in Ukraine purports to show two German-made Leopard battle tanks taking direct hits in Russian drone strikes, with both seen erupting into flames during engagements with Russian forces.
In a pair of clips shared by military bloggers on Tuesday, two Ukrainian tanks appeared to meet their demise after taking direct hits from Russian UAVs and artillery. Open-source conflict monitor channel LostArmour identified the destoyed tanks as German-made Leopard 2A4s.
The videos were said to have been captured near the town of Rabotino in Zaporozhye, the site of fierce battles in recent weeks.
Another clip shows a Leopard advancing through an open field from a distance, firing off a few shells before it is struck by a First Person View (FPV) drone, which have been employed heavily throughout the conflict.
Since the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in early June, the Russian military has repeatedly published photos and videos of destroyed Ukrainian military equipment, including Western-made hardware. Clips showing the destruction and capture of German-made Leopard tanks and at least two British Challengers have since been made public.
Earlier this month, Russian Lancet loitering munitions were seen taking out British-supplied howitzers in a long-distance “precision strike,” while other footage has shown strikes on Ukrainian aircraft parked at far-away airfields.
Moscow has repeatedly urged against foreign arms shipments to Kiev, insisting the weapons would only prolong the fighting but do little to deter its military objectives.
Late last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Western-made armor was “readily burning” under Russian strikes, and though he acknowledged recently-supplied US Abrams tanks were “some serious weapons,” he declared that “these will burn too.”
According to the Russian Defense Ministry’s latest estimates, Ukraine has lost more than 17,000 soldiers and over 2,700 pieces of hardware in its counteroffensive in September alone. The operation has failed to achieve major changes to the front lines since it was launched in June, despite the heavy casualties suffered by Ukrainian forces.
