Photographs have emerged from the long-expected Ukrainian counteroffensive that shows U.S. and NATO armored vehicles, including the vaunted German Leopard tank, destroyed by Russian defensive fire.
The U.S. and European allies in NATO sent advanced weaponry to Ukraine over the past year, hoping to break through Russian entrenchments throughout the Donbas and wider Eastern Ukraine.
The counteroffensive’s success has been a priority of the Biden administration, a priority that Biden’s senior aides believe the president’s global and domestic reputation hinges on.
If the counteroffensive is successful, widespread military and financial support for Ukraine would be expected to continue, while an offensive failure is expected to hasten calls for negotiation with the Kremlin.
Information from the front is tightly controlled by both Russian and Ukrainian officials, making it difficult for outside observers to report on ongoing military operations. Still, some footage has emerged of intense combat taking place in the southern Donetsk region of Ukraine.
A photograph that the Russian Defense Ministry claims was taken on June 10 shows NATO armored vehicles destroyed and piled up along a road, blackened and smoking after being repeatedly struck by Russian anti-tank munitions.
The Russian Defense Ministry claims its forces destroyed five U.S.-made Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicles and seven German Leopard tanks while repulsing several Ukrainian attacks. Media outlets have been unable to confirm these figures, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged ongoing offensive operations.
The loss of the Leopard tanks is especially concerning for observers of the ongoing war. Around 2,000 Leopard II tanks serve a multitude of NATO forces and are widely considered to be the alliance’s most effective combat tank.
Ukraine is expected to receive around 160 tanks from NATO countries by the end of 2023. The apparent loss of seven Leopards in the opening days of Ukraine’s offensive highlights the scale and intensity of the war.