Ukrainian crews praise Leopard 2A6 tanks for superior crew protection and battlefield performance

An enlightening interview with a Ukrainian crew of a Leopard 2A6 tank emerged online. In it, they discussed their experience over the last few months. In the interview, prepared by UNITED24, a Ukrainian man reveals various episodes. On one occasion, three Russian tanks, intending to intercept his vehicle, retreated on learning that their target was a Leopard 2A6.

"We were attacking Russian positions alongside M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles when one detonated a mine before us, obstructing our path through the minefield. Our infantry was already engaging the Russians, so we started firing for around 40 minutes, expending all our ammunition. Once the infantry reinforcements arrived, we successfully eliminated the remaining Russians. We later met the soldiers, who had only two wounded, and they confessed that if it hadn't been for our covering fire, they would have been decimated."

Zahar also compared the Leopard 2A6 tanks to the previously used T-64 and T-72.

Oleksi, who doesn't even possess a driving license, serves as a driver who tested the tank's top speed of 80 kilometres per hour (km/h) (approximately 50 miles per hour), even though the manual stated a maximum of 72 km/h (around 45 mph). Dmitro, the gunner, praised the fire control system that facilitates striking targets at a distance of about 4 kilometres (approximately 2.5 miles). Within 3 kilometres (approximately 1.9 miles), the accuracy nears 100 percent. Vitali has the most challenging role, as he, the loader, has to feed 30-kilogram (approximately 66 lbs) shells into the cannon.

Zahar identifies mines and guided anti-tank missiles as some of the greatest threats to tanks, while adding that FPV drones pose more danger to Soviet machines, due to their propensity to explode more easily. The Leopard 2 doesn't have this issue. In a confrontation with enemy tanks, Zahar is confident that the Leopard 2 would emerge victorious. He also notes that everyone fears them and attempts to destroy them using various methods.

The Leopard 2A6 models are enhancements from the beginning of the new millennium. They were developed in response to the advanced Russian tanks from the T-90 series, which resulted from a significant upgrade of the T-72B tanks.

The Leopard 2A6 is fortified with greater front and side armour than its predecessors. The key upgrade, however, is the longer Rheinmetall Rh-120 L/55 cannon, capable of propelling APFSDS-T penetrators at higher speeds, thus improving shot accuracy and penetrability.

This Leopard 2 model also allows the crew to operate in a hunter-killer mode where the commander uses his thermal panoramic sight to spot targets and direct the gun towards them. The gunner then makes the necessary adjustments and fires, substantially reducing the time between detection and elimination of the target compared to the traditional method where the gunner relies solely on the commander's data.