Three out of six Leopard 2R: Ukraine loses rare special vehicles in attack

Three-in-six leopard 2r
Ukraine lost rare special vehicles in attack

06/12/2023 09:54 AM

During a failed breakthrough attempt in southern Ukraine, Kiev’s troops lose some specialized vehicles, including three Leopard 2R armored mine clearance vehicles. Finland 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. US magazine “Forbes” noted the Russian drone sightings and wrote that at least five special vehicles were lost south of the village of Mala Dokmachka on Thursday morning. Accordingly, there are three Panther 2Rs from Finland, the Soviet-made IMR-2 and the German Bergpanzer 2.

The loss of the Leopard 2R, of which Ukraine has six copies, would be painful. The Leopard 2R is a heavy mine clearance vehicle and was developed by the Finnish defense company Patria. The Cheetah 2A4 serves as the main battle tank base. According to Forbes, the Finnish armed forces were dissatisfied with the Panther 2R because the tank struggled in rocky terrain in Finland. For this reason, the government in Helsinki decided to surrender all six available Leopard 2Rs to Ukraine as weapons.

It is unclear whether the vehicles were destroyed by mines or airstrikes. Frontal assaults on enemy strongholds are typically one of the most difficult and expensive operations in ground warfare, notes Forbes. Even the best-armed armies, if successfully routed, lose half their offensive power. Even if Ukraine loses all Leopard 2Rs, “Forbes” doesn’t think the Ukrainian counteroffensive will stop because there are still other demining vehicles in Kiev.

According to the report, the sector south of Mala Dokmachka is of strategic importance. The village is 40 kilometers north of the Tokmok transport hub, from where the main roads lead to Melitopol and Berdyansk on the Sea of ​​Azov. Forbes speculates that if Ukrainian forces break through the minefields south of Mala Dokmacha and advance towards Melitopol, the Russian forces could be split in two.