Russian capture of German Leopard 2A6 tank sparks intense analysis
A Leopard 2A6 tank, captured by the Russian army during the ongoing war in Ukraine, was delivered to one of the plants owned by the Uralvagonzavod corporation. These machines are among the newer tanks sent to the front by NATO. What are their features, and what fate awaits the specimen the Russians got their hands on?
According to a statement spread in Russian media, local experts will analyse the construction and equipment of the German tank, allowing them to understand its capabilities and weaknesses better, which is expected to help the Russian army increase the efficiency of future encounters with such tanks in Ukraine.
A short video of when the Leopard 2A6 was delivered to one of the Uralvagonzavod plants was also published.
The Russians are examining a captured Leopard 2A6 tank
"Experts will analyse the components and systems of this tank to assess their actual military-technical level and the overall capabilities of the captured vehicle," the Russians wrote in the report, as quoted by the Defence Blog portal.
Among the tanks transferred by the West to the Ukrainian army, a significant portion consists of German Leopards. Although older variants like the Leopard 1A5 and Leopard 2A4 dominate, newer and more advanced Leopard 2A6 tanks have also been sent to the front. These tanks have been produced since the 2000s. The designers aimed to create machines responding to the Russian T-90 family of tanks. Leopard 2A6 tanks feature enhanced armour and the longer Rheinmetall Rh-120 L/55 cannon compared to their predecessors. Weighing about 60 tonnes, Leopard 2A6 tanks can move up to around 70 km/h, and their range is estimated at around 500 km.
Russian spoils in Ukraine
As noted in the Defence Blog, despite their claims of conducting research on the captured Leopard 1A5, experts believe that Russia's current industrial potential is insufficient to reverse-engineer and reproduce such a tank.
However, the information obtained may facilitate the Russians' future encounters with Western equipment. Among other valuable spoils they have captured in Ukraine are CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, which Sergey Shoigu once boasted about, and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. They have also managed to capture some older NATO tanks and the ageing German Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicles.
