2023-06-12 07:54:00
Three out of six Leopard 2R
Ukraine loses rare special vehicles in attack
6/12/2023 9:54 am
During a failed breakthrough attempt in southern Ukraine, Kiev’s troops lose some special vehicles, including three Leopard 2R armored mine clearance vehicles. Finland had delivered a total of six copies to Ukraine.
According to a media report, Ukrainian engineer units of the 33rd Mechanized Brigade and the 47th Assault Brigade suffered heavy casualties in an attack in the Zaporizhia region last week. As the US magazine “Forbes” writes with reference to Russian drone footage, at least five special vehicles were lost on Thursday morning south of the village of Mala Tokmachka. Accordingly, there are three Leopard 2Rs from Finland, a Soviet-made IMR-2 and a German Bergepanzer 2.
The loss of the Leopard 2R, of which Ukraine had received six copies, is likely to be painful. The Leopard 2R is a heavy mine clearance vehicle and was developed by the Finnish defense company Patria. The Leopard 2A4 main battle tank serves as the basis. According to Forbes, the Finnish Armed Forces were dissatisfied with the Leopard 2R because the tank struggled with the rocky terrain in Finland. For this reason, the government in Helsinki decided to hand over all six available Leopard 2Rs to Ukraine as weapons.
It is unclear whether the vehicles were destroyed by mines or air raids. Frontal assaults on enemy fortifications are typically among the most difficult and potentially costly operations in ground warfare, Forbes notes. Even the best-equipped armies would have to reckon with losing regarding half their attack power if they successfully broke through. Even if Ukraine were to lose all Leopard 2Rs, “Forbes” does not assume that the Ukrainian counter-offensive will be stopped because Kiev still has other demining vehicles.
The sector south of Mala Tokmachka is of strategic importance, according to the report. The village is around 40 kilometers north of the Tokmak transport hub, from where main roads lead to Melitopol and Berdyansk on the Azov Sea. Forbes speculates that if Ukrainian forces manage to break through the minefields south of Mala Tokmachka and advance towards Melitopol, they might split the Russian forces in two.
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