A Ukrainian soldier on a tank conducts target practice near the frontline area in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, March 29, 2023. Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Getty Images
A chilling video below shows a Russian drone attacking a German-made Leopard tank.
The Russians cheered these defeats. Some believe these are signs that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed.
You might still be disappointed. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has only just begun.
Scenes on the front lines of the Ukraine war looked bleak for Ukrainian forces recently at the start of their counter-offensive, including pile-ups of damaged or destroyed tanks and combat vehicles.
A chilling video below shows a Russian drone attacking a German-made Leopard 2 tank. The hit is real, however the full damage is not shown and could not be independently assessed.
The Leopard is among the more advanced weapons Ukraine received from its Western backers to retake its country from Russian invaders.
The Russians celebrated.
“Some prominent Russian ultra-nationalists have claimed that damaged or destroyed Western-supplied equipment indicates that Ukrainian forces have failed to launch a full-scale counteroffensive,” read Friday’s assessment by the think tank Institute for the Study of War , who closely follows the conflict and events are pro-Russian bloggers, who are shaping their public’s understanding of it.
Reports and images of the fierce fighting are emerging from the Zaporizhia region, where Ukraine is using some of its most powerful weapons to breach Russian lines and is facing so-called Dragon’s Teeth Positions to stop tanks, minefields, relentless artillery and electronic jammers, drones and even airstrikes.
It is not clear if the horrific scenes emanated from the fulcrum of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, where casualties are likely to be highest when trying to penetrate up to 20 miles of Russia’s mutually reinforcing positions. As Insider’s Ryan Pickrell reported, even the best vehicles can be destroyed and troops killed in these hurricanes.
“Another Russian milblogger claimed that a counter-offensive could only last 10-15 days, implying that the Ukrainian counter-offensive will soon peak,” ISW said.
The story goes on
That optimism might be misplaced. The counter-offensive lasted about six days. Ukraine is advancing to the east and has made limited gains in Zaporizhia – gains that could be built on in successive waves or bolstered by other attacks. Russia has parried some of Ukraine’s attacks, but will this be the biggest effort?
Only time can tell.
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