- Terrifying video captures a Russian drone attack on a German-made Leopard tank below.
- The Russians applauded these defeats. Some believe these are signs that Ukraine’s counteroffensive is failing.
- They can still be disappointed. The Ukrainian counter-offensive has just begun.
Scenes from the front lines of the Ukrainian War have recently looked dire for Ukrainian forces as their counter-offensive is underway, including piles of damaged or destroyed tanks and combat vehicles.
Terrifying video captures the attack of a Russian roving drone on a German-made Leopard 2 tank below. The hit is real but full damage is not displayed and could not be independently assessed.
The Leopard is one of the most advanced weapons Ukraine has received from its Western backers to help it reclaim its land from Russian invaders.
The Russians celebrated.
—Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 10, 2023
“Some prominent Russian ultranationalists claimed that damage or destruction of Western-supplied equipment indicated that Ukrainian forces had failed to launch a full-scale counteroffensive,” notes the assessment. Friday from the Institute for the Study of War think tank, which tracks the conflict and the pro-Russian bloggers shaping their audiences’ understanding.
Stories and images of hard fighting are emerging from the Zaporizhia region, where Ukraine is using some of its strongest weapons to try to break through Russian lines and battling so-called dragon’s teeth positions to stop tanks, fields mines, relentless artillery, jamming, drones and even airstrikes.
It is unclear if the dire scenes come from the pivot of Ukraine’s counter-offensive, where casualties are likely to be highest as they try to cross what could be up to 20 miles away. mutually reinforcing Russian positions. As Insider’s Ryan Pickrell reported, it’s in these maelstroms that even the best vehicles can be destroyed and troops slain.
“Another Russian miblogger claimed that a counter-offensive can only last 10-15 days, implying that the Ukrainian counter-offensive will peak soon,” according to ISW.
This optimism may be misplaced. The counter-offensive lasted about six days. Ukraine is advancing east and has made limited gains at Zaporizhia – gains that could be exploited in successive waves or sustained by further assaults. Russia parried some of Ukraine’s attacks, but will that prove the main effort?
Only time will tell.
businessinsider
