Ukraine only lost 5 out of 71 Leopard 2 tanks during summer in counteroffensive – Forbes
In 13 weeks after the start of the long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive on several fronts in the south and east of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army has only lost five out of 71 Leopard 2 tanks. At least 10 more of these tanks have been damaged and are currently being repaired.
Source: Forbes
Details: According to Forbes, all losses of Leopard 2 tanks occurred within an area of 25 square miles [about 65 km2 – ed.], anchored to Mala Tokmachka in the north and Robotyne in the south.
It is quite likely that almost every member of the crew of the five destroyed tanks, 20 people in total, managed to leave their tank before it burned down or exploded.
On photos and videos that captured four out of five cases of destruction of Leopard 2s, the tanks’ turrets and hulls have opened hatches — a strong indication that the crews managed to get out.
Damaged tanks are being repaired in Poland and Germany and will later be brought back to the frontline.
Forbes stressed that thanks to the fundamental strength of a 69-tonne Leopard 2 tank it can be damaged, repaired, return to combat, then damaged and repaired again.
Forbes cites Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Solonko who stated that the Western tanks are "saving lives" and "even most critically damaged military equipment is recovered and taken for repairs".
"A consortium of NATO countries including Canada, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden together have pledged to Ukraine 10 Strv 122s—Swedish-modified Leopard 2A5s—21 Leopard 2A6s and 74 Leopard 2A4s. All of these tanks except 14 A4s already have arrived at the front line.
The 1980s-vintage A4 is the least sophisticated of the Leopard 2s. The ‘90s-vintage Strv 122 and A6 have a new composite armor mix, better optics and—in the case of the A6—a longer, farther-firing 120-millimeter main gun."
German KMW and Rheinmetall build their tanks with special turret-mounted compartments for their 120-millimetre ammunition so that it explodes outward, away from the crew, when struck. Unlike the Germans, Russian tanks place their ammunition under their turrets, which means a successful hit blows up the turret together with the tank crew.
This is the main reason it’s a lot easier to damage rather than destroy a Leopard 2 and rattle its crew than kill them, while a precise strike on a Russian T-72 might catastrophically blow up both tank and crew.
"Assuming every destroyed Leopard 2 has left behind visual evidence of its destruction, there have been just five total Leopard 2 write-offs since the Ukrainian counteroffensive began on June 4. The losses include two of the 50 deployed A4s and three of the 21 deployed A6s. No Strv 122s have been confirmed as destroyed," Forbes reports.
Out of the 71 Leopard 2 tanks given to Ukraine initially, with 5 tanks permanently out of action and as many as 10 at depots for repair, its brigades still have over 50 active Leopards.
The 14 Leopard 2A4s expected to arrive early next year should more than make up for the losses.
More Western tanks are on the way, including 31 former American tanks M1 Abrams, which have an even heavier armour than most Leopard 2s.
The Ukrainian forces are also getting at least 165 German Leopard 1A5 that, unlike Leopard 2, Challenger 2 and M1 Abrams, have minimal armoured protection.
Quote: "Ukrainian brigades can’t expect the Leopard 1s to muscle through attacks the way the Leopard 2s have done."
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