Leopard 2 No Longer ‘Visible’ on Ukraine Frontlines – German Newspaper

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The highly acclaimed Leopard 2 tanks, proudly manufactured by Germany, and used by European nations, are now less visible on the frontlines alongside the Ukrainian forces, according to a German news outlet.

At the outset of their deployment in Ukraine, the Leopard 2 tanks carried high hopes among the Ukrainian military, with expectations that they would lead ground offensives and break through Russian defenses.

However, these lofty expectations for the Leopard 2 tanks did not materialize.

In an analysis by the German newspaper Die Welt, it was noted that the Leopard 2 tanks seemed to have “disappeared” from the frontlines with the Ukrainian forces and were hard to spot at the moment.

“When initially deployed, these heavily armored Leopard 2 tanks with their precision firepower and excellent mobility were expected to lead the efforts to breach Russian defense lines in southern Ukraine,” Die Welt stated.

 

“However, the Leopard 2 tanks, often hailed as ‘game-changers,’ unexpectedly retreated from their primary role in the Ukraine-Russia battlefield,” according to the German newspaper’s analysis.

The Leopard tanks were developed by the German company Rheinmetall.

Die Welt also stated that the Ukrainian military’s hopes of penetrating enemy lines and defeating the Russian forces using Western military technology assets have so far not been realized.

The need for armored vehicles in the Ukraine-Russia conflict arises due to the lack of close air support.

Military analysts, according to the German newspaper, had already known before the influx of Western armored vehicles in Ukraine that success in the battlefield depended on tactics rather than armored vehicles.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer has been ongoing for four months, but it has not achieved significant success so far.

Russian military expert and former Colonel Viktor Litovkin predicted that Western armored vehicles would be more vulnerable in the upcoming fall/winter season.

He mentioned that Western armored vehicles, like the Abrams and Leopard, are much heavier than Russian armored vehicles, with a difference of about 20 tons.

As a result, he said, Western armored vehicles such as the Abrams and Leopard, weighing over 70 tons, are more prone to getting stuck in the soft Ukrainian terrain, making them easy targets for Russian anti-tank guided missiles.

In the fall/winter season, the black soil of Ukraine, known as “chernozem,” becomes an obstacle for Western armored vehicles.

During the fall, Ukraine experiences heavy rains, causing the soil to become soft and muddy, further hindering the operation of heavy armored vehicles weighing 60 to 70 tons, such as the Abrams and Leopard.

US military officials stated that the Ukrainian forces have only 30 to 45 days left to achieve something significant in their current counteroffensive phase before the situation becomes more challenging with the arrival of the fall and winter seasons.

 

In the fall, military vehicles, especially Western armored vehicles weighing over 60 tons, will face difficulties in movement, thereby reducing their combat performance.

Ukraine is expected to face logistical challenges, especially concerning the rapid movement of its troops, as they need to capture Russian positions, which are in a defensive posture.

Russian forces have spent months fortifying their defensive positions with well-protected defenseive lines, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to penetrate.

The fall and winter season is expected to favor Moscow. — DSA

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