Ukraine’s counter-attacks has left Russia’s invasion reeling with at least 117 tanks belonging to Vladimir Putin ’s forces captured and reports that more than 500 could have been destroyed.
With unconfirmed figures claiming that Ukraine has lost 74 tanks, its gains mean that it would now have more tanks than at the start of the invasion.
Russia ’s advance has notably lost momentum in recent days with troops failing to press forward in many areas or topple key cities while at the same time Ukraine soldiers have won back some terrain.
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The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine put Russian tank losses at 561 in a Facebook post on Friday.
It also said 115 of Russia’s warplanes have so far been destroyed in the conflict which has now entered its fifth week.
Ukrainians have fought for every inch of ground and it has led to Russian forces resorting to pummelling cities with shells which is causing a high number of casualties.
Forbes’ aerospace and defence expert, David Axe, reported the Express , said: “The Ukrainian army’s main tank, the T-64, no longer is in active use in the Russian army. But the Ukrainians also operate at least two models that the Russians still use too, the T-72 and the T-80 .
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“The T-80 actually is an evolution of the T-64, itself one of the most sophisticated tanks Soviet industry ever produced.
“The T-72, by contrast, is a simpler, cheaper tank – one suitable to mass-production and easy support in the field. It’s not for no reason that Ukraine generally assigns its T-72s to reserve formations.”
Mr Axe added: “In any event, there aren’t many captured Russian tanks Ukraine can’t use in some capacity.
“The question is how quickly Kyiv’s army can take stock of a vehicle its troops, or civilians, have seized, repair any damage, fuel it up, restock its ammo and assign it to a crew with the right training.”
Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the East as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture towns outside the capital Kyiv.
In an announcement that appeared to indicate more limited goals, the Russian Defence Ministry said a first phase of its operation was mostly complete and it would now focus on the eastern Donbass region, which has pro-Russia separatist enclaves.
“The combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been considerably reduced, which … makes it possible to focus our core efforts on achieving the main goal, the liberation of Donbass,” said Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate.
Reframing Russia’s goals may make it easier for Putin to claim a face-saving victory, military analysts said.
Photo Credit: Getty
