Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Leopard 2 tanks, manufactured in Germany, were used by the Ukrainian military as part of their defense against Russian forces. The delivery of these tanks had been requested for some time by Ukraine and aroused great media interest when it was finally accepted in January of the previous year.
Recently, reports of heavy losses of Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks have circulated. Five of these tanks are reported to have been destroyed in one week in the Zaporizhia region, located in southern Ukraine. These losses were mainly attributed to drone strikes. This was reported recently Forbes.
Drones, especially kamikaze first-person view (FPV) devices, have played a significant role in the losses suffered by Ukrainian armored vehicles in recent days. Both sides in the conflict, Russia and Ukraine, have recognized the growing importance of drones on the battlefield. As a result, both sides increased their production of these devices, resulting in more frequent losses of armored vehicles.
Despite these losses, Ukraine appears to be able to largely protect its tanks. Since the start of its counteroffensive, which has lasted four months, Ukraine has lost ten Leopard 2 tanks and one Challenger 2 British tank. More specifically, Ukraine would have lost seven Leopard 2A4s, three Leopard 2A6s and one British Challenger 2. These losses represent a fraction of the 150 Western armored vehicles provided by Ukrainian allies.
As a reminder, for more than a year and a half, Vladimir Putin’s Russian Federation has launched a major military offensive in Ukraine. Kiev called for support from the international community and was able to count on the support of the West from the first hours.
