Ukraine's western tank losses mount amid fierce battles
A publication on the Opex360 portal summarises the losses of Ukrainian forces regarding Western tanks. The list of lost equipment appears to be extensive. Let’s examine which tank models are included.
The publication relies on data from the Oryx blog, whose creators focus on documenting visual evidence of equipment losses in Ukraine, covering both Ukrainian and Russian sides. It also includes the most valued Western tanks delivered to the Ukrainian army, such as M1A1 Abrams, Challenger 2, various variants of Leopard 2, and Stridsvagn 122, in the context of total and partial destructions.
Summary of Western tank losses in Ukraine
The numbers clearly show that the worst situation for Ukraine and the West concerns the Stridsvagn 122. These are tanks from Sweden, of which Ukraine received 10 and has already lost seven. These tanks are a profound modernisation of the German Leopard 2A5 and are considered by experts to be "the best-armoured tanks that Ukraine has". Compared to their prototype, they have features such as reinforced roofs, hull sides, and more durable fuel tanks. Regarding armament, the main role is played by the smoothbore L/44 gun of 120 mm calibre.
Among newer variants of German tanks, 18 Leopard 2A6 units were sent to Ukraine (from Germany and Portugal). So far, 12 have been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned on the battlefield. Ukrainians recorded greater losses with the Leopard 2A4s, as the Russians managed to disable 21 of these machines from further participation in the war.
Abrams tanks in Ukraine: How many have been destroyed?
The Opex360 publication devotes much space to the Abrams tanks. From the United States, 31 such tanks in M1A1 variants have reached Ukraine. These are machines measuring almost 10 metres in length, equipped with a 120 mm gun and machine guns of 0.50 inches and 0.3 inches calibre. Although they typically have depleted uranium panels, the units sent to Ukraine had them replaced with tungsten inserts (the Americans were concerned that the Russians would discover their sensitive technologies).
Before their deployment to the front, there were suggestions that this equipment would change the course of the war, but reality proved harsher. Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, in a conversation with WP Tech, noted that Abrams tanks are not invincible when addressing the issues faced by Ukrainians.
The first M1A1 Abrams was lost by the Ukrainians in February, during battles for Avdiivka. Since then, 13 other such tanks have met a similar fate.
Challenger 2 performs well in Ukraine
Overall, the British Challenger 2 tanks perform best in the discussed context. So far, the Russians have eliminated only two (one destroyed, the other damaged). This was even considered a success for the Russians because before the war in Ukraine, no such tank had ever been destroyed in an armed conflict. The Challenger 2 features multi-layer Chobham/Dorchester armour, which, at the time of entering service in 1994, gave it the reputation of being the most durable tank in the world. The United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with 14 such machines.
