Leopard 2A4 tanks gain acclaim on Ukrainian battlefield
Members of the Ukrainian army's 33rd Mechanized Brigade shared their impressions of using Leopard 2A4 tanks. They also detailed an unusual camouflage they applied to one of these German machines, thereby increasing its effectiveness on the battlefield.
The opinion of the Ukrainian tank crews on Leopard 2A4 tanks was presented by the ArmyInform service. These are among the most frequently delivered Western tanks to Ukraine, produced in the 1980s, but at the front in Ukraine, they prove to be some of the best machines of this type. They offer significantly greater capabilities than many Soviet-era tanks used by both sides in the ongoing war.
Ukrainians praise German tanks
Members of the 33rd Mechanized Brigade compared the Leopard 2A4 to the T-64 tank. In their opinion, it's like comparing a BMW to a Zhiguli (old Soviet cars), and Leopards have a significant advantage over tanks produced during the USSR era.
The Leopard 2A4 is noticeably larger and heavier, but at the same time, it has a much more powerful engine (1500 horsepower), making it faster (with a maximum speed of even 70 km/h) and more maneuverable. Ukrainians emphasise that despite such an engine, the German tanks are quiet. They believe that from a distance of about 50–70 metres, they can be mistaken for agricultural equipment, and from a distance of about 120–150 metres, they are already hard to hear.
Unusual camouflage of the Leopard 2A4 tank
When additional camouflage is applied, the Leopard 2A4 becomes hard to detect by the enemy. One of these tanks used by the 33rd Mechanized Brigade, owing to its distinctive camouflage for operations in forested areas, is named "Shaggy." Ukrainians claim that thanks to it, for example, in clearings it was undetectable from a distance of 30–40 metres.
This is how Russians destroy Ukrainian tanks
Ukrainians also pointed out the weapon that poses the greatest threat to Leopard 2A4 tanks and their crews. In their opinion, these are kamikaze drones. It’s not just larger constructions like the Lancet but also often very simple, small FPV drones (First Person View).
– If it weren't for these FPV drones, we would have long since torn down the star from the Kremlin with a Leopard. Mines, drops, grenade launchers—all of this can be survived, avoided, or outmanoeuvred. But when an FPV "pushes" at 180 km/h, how can you escape it? – says a Ukrainian tank commander.
According to Ukrainian soldiers, an important feature of the Leopard 2A4 tank, which is missing in Soviet-era tanks, is the full isolation of the main ammo storage. Additionally, the German machine allows continued driving (for a few kilometres) in a special emergency mode, even if enemy ammunition hits the engine compartment, thus enabling, for instance, an escape to a safe location.
