The first hard evidence that Ukraine’s 82nd Airborne Brigade – the sole operator of the 14 Challenger 2 tanks – deployed the 71-tonne tanks in Kursk came last Sunday when Russia’s drone unit released video of a drone strike on one of Challenger 2 tanks.
The video shows the Lancet drone allegedly crashing into Challenger 2. A captured photo appears to confirm that the Lancet, weighing up to 25kg, destroyed a British tank.
This is the second confirmed loss of a Challenger 2 tank by the 82nd Airborne Brigade. It lost its first tank during the Ukrainian counterattack in 2023. summer in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine.
The elite 82nd Airborne Brigade is suffering heavy losses in the fight to expand Ukraine’s zone of control into Russian territory.
Russian soldiers have released more photos and videos showing the losses of the 82nd Airborne Brigade. The brigade also appears to have lost several American-made Stryker infantry fighting vehicles.
The fact that the Ukrainians are willing to risk their rarest and most valuable Western-supplied weaponry in Kursk speaks volumes about the intentions of the Ukrainian General Staff. The generals plan to capture and hold a large part of Kursk.
The question is why?
“Watching the statements of Ukrainian officials and their recent actions, it increasingly seems that Ukraine is seeking to create a buffer zone that could also be used as leverage for possible negotiations,” concludes Finnish military analyst Joni Askola.
However, there are strict limits to how large this buffer zone can be. It is still possible that the Kremlin will launch a major counterattack at Kursk that will stop the Ukrainian offensive.
Ukraine’s logistics are also a limiting factor. The deeper the 82nd Airborne Brigade and other brigades penetrate into Kursk, the more difficult it is for their logisticians to ensure the supply of food, fuel and ammunition.
Adapted from Forbes.
2024-08-19 18:30:50