Ukraine's struggle: Severe losses of western combat tanks
An article on the Opex360 portal summarizes Ukrainian losses related to Western tanks. The list of lost equipment is long. Let's take a look at the models of tanks included in it.
The publication is based on data from the Oryx blog, whose creators focus on documenting visual evidence of equipment losses in Ukraine, both on the Ukrainian and Russian sides. They have included (in the context of total and partial destruction) the most valued Western tanks delivered to the Ukrainian army, such as M1A1 Abrams, Challenger 2, various variants of Leopard 2, and Stridsvagn 122.
Summary of western tank losses in Ukraine
The numbers clearly show that the situation looks worst for Ukraine and the West concerning the Stridsvagn 122. These are tanks from Sweden, and Ukraine received 10 of them but has already lost seven. They are a deep modernization of the German Leopard 2A5 and are considered by experts to be the “best-armoured tanks Ukraine has.” Compared to their prototype, they have, among other things, an enhanced roof and hull sides, as well as more durable fuel tanks. In terms of armament, the main role is played by the L/44 smoothbore gun calibre 120 mm (4.7 inches).
Out of the newer variants of German tanks, 18 Leopard 2A6s (from Germany and Portugal) were sent to Ukraine. So far, 12 of them have been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned on the battlefield. Ukraine has experienced greater losses with the Leopard 2A4s, with the Russians managing to put 21 of these machines out of further participation in the war.
Abrams tanks in Ukraine. how many have been destroyed?
A significant portion of the Opex360 article focuses on Abrams tanks. Thirty-one of these tanks were sent from the United States to Ukraine in M1A1 variants. These machines measure almost 33 feet in length, equipped with a 120 mm (4.7 inches) cannon and 12.7 mm (0.5 inches) and 7.62 mm (0.3 inches) machine guns. Although they standardly feature panels with depleted uranium, in the units for Ukraine, these were replaced with tungsten inserts (Americans had concerns that the Russians would learn about their sensitive technologies).
Before their transfer to the front, there were suggestions that this equipment would change the course of the war, but reality turned out to be more brutal. Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, in an interview with WP Tech, emphasized that Abrams tanks are not invincible.
The first M1A1 Abrams was lost by Ukrainians in February around Avdiivka. Since then, the same fate has befallen 13 other such tanks.
Challenger 2 performing well in Ukraine
In the discussed context, the British Challenger 2 tanks are performing the best. So far, the Russians have eliminated only two (one destroyed, the other damaged). This was considered a success by the Russians, as before the war in Ukraine, no such tank had ever been destroyed in an armed conflict. The Challenger 2 features a Chobham/Dorchester multi-layer armour. Thanks to this, when it entered service in 1994, it was regarded as the most resilient tank in the world. The United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with 14 of these machines.
