Russia claims to blow up Ukrainian tank, turns out to be tractor: video
Russia’s recent claim about its military destroying eight German-made Leopard tanks provided to Ukraine has been debunked by a visual analysis conducted by The Associated Press. Russia had released a gunsight video that showed the supposed destruction of foreign armour vehicles, including the Leopard tanks. However, AP’s analysis has revealed that the video actually documented the destruction of a tractor. The footage was shown on Russian TV networks and social media sites controlled by the state. The Leopard 2 is one of the most powerful battle tanks with 120mm gun capacity and is heavily armoured. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the manufacturer of the tanks, claims it can slice through Soviet-era tanks from 4km away.
FAQs
What is the Leopard 2?
The Leopard 2 is a heavily armoured battle tank with 120mm gun capacity and is one of the most manoeuvrable tanks in the world.
What was the visual analysis conducted by The Associated Press about?
The AP analysis showed that the video Russia released actually documented the destruction of a tractor and not the German-made Leopard tanks.
What else was claimed by Russia?
Apart from the Leopard tanks, Russia has also claimed to have destroyed three French-made AMX-10 light tanks.
What do experts say about the Russian claim?
Military experts remain sceptical about Russia’s claims and are of the opinion that the military is “notorious for making claims of great victories later proven to be false”.
What is the history of Ukraine and Russia regarding their battlefield losses?
Both Ukraine and Russia have at various times sought to downplay their battlefield losses, and experts have noted that Russia has been wrong about claims in the past.
Video reveals Russia’s mistaken claim of blowing up Ukrainian tank, which was actually a tractor
Russia released a video claiming its military had destroyed eight Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks, among the most advanced weapons provided to Ukraine by NATO nations. However, a visual analysis by The Associated Press revealed the video actually documents the destruction of a tractor. Ukrainian officials refused to comment on whether their Leopard tanks were used in battle. Weapons experts and military bloggers cast doubt on social media that the helicopter’s missile hit a tank, noting the silhouette of the vehicle destroyed appears to match a self-propelled sprayer, a machinery commonly used in farming. The Russian military has a history of making false claims about battlefield victories.