Ukrainian tank stuck while trying to crush armored vehicle

Video taken from the ground shows a Ukrainian T-72B3 tank getting stuck after trying to run over a MaxxPro armored vehicle in a failed attempt to rescue its comrades.

A video shared by the pro-Ukrainian Karymat channel on Telegram on June 22 shows Ukrainian soldiers walking past a T-72B3 tank lying motionless on a MaxxPro mine-resistant armament (MRAP).

"The incident occurred at Vremyevsky promontory on the Donetsk front. The tank was hit by a Russian Lancet suicide drone while trying to evacuate the MaxxPro. The chaos at that time led to the collision," the account said.

These are the first close-up images of the incident on the ground, emerging a week after pro-Russian campaign accounts posted UAV video showing Ukrainian T-72B3 tanks unsuccessfully trying to save the MaxxPro armored vehicle, forcing them to run over it.

Ukrainian tank stuck while trying to crush friendly armor — T-72B3 tank stuck on MaxxPro armored vehicle in video released on June 21. Video: *Telegram/Karymat*

In the newly released video, the T-72B3 gets stuck on the roof of the MaxxPro and is nose-diving at a steep angle, with its gun barrel embedded in the ground. The mine-resistant armored vehicle’s tires sink into the road, but it is unclear whether it was pushed into the mud or crushed by the nearly 50-ton tank.

An anonymous US official with many years of experience in armored warfare said that the crew of the Ukrainian T-72B3 tank deliberately crushed the MRAP to prevent the enemy from confiscating it or using it for propaganda purposes, but instead left both vehicles stranded on the battlefield.

"Many people think that tanks can crush anything, but that is a misconception. In this case, the tank climbed onto the MRAP's roof and got stuck, instead of crushing it like a regular truck. MRAPs are very sturdy vehicles, designed to withstand large explosions and retain their shape when overturned. The tank was like hanging over the edge of the hole and could not move," the official said.

Ukrainian tank crushed friendly armored vehicle — Ukrainian tank tries to crush MaxxPro armored vehicle in video released on June 14. Video: *Telegram/Voin_Dv*

The US has provided Ukraine with more than 500 MRAPs of various types. According to a report compiled by Oryx, a Netherlands-based intelligence analysis site based on publicly available sources, the Ukrainian military has lost 41 M1224 MaxxPro mine-resistant vehicles, but it is unclear whether the one in the video is counted.

CNN on June 22 quoted a senior US military official and two Western officials as saying that Ukraine's counter-offensive "fell short of expectations on all fronts."

According to them, the Russian defense line is very strong, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to penetrate. The Russian army also destroyed many Ukrainian armored vehicles with missiles and mines, and deployed effective air power.

A Western official said Ukrainian forces were showing "vulnerability" to Russian-laid minefields, while Russian forces had better defensive capabilities.

Vu Anh (According to Drive )

Source link