- Ukrainian officials say Russia has lost 130 tanks in three weeks of fighting near Büredal.
- The country has repeated previous tactical mistakes that have previously led to the loss of a large number of critical vehicles.
- An expert on U.S.-Soviet relations told Insider that Russia’s latest strike was “half-baked.”
So far, the largest tank battle of the Russo-Ukrainian War has proven to be another humble failure for Russia.
Ukrainian military official said this week that Russia at least lost 130 armored vehicles During a fighting outside the mining town of Vuhledar earlier this year, according to New York Times. In this battle, Russia relied on early tank tactics that had failed the country in Bucha last year by sending columns of military vehicles straight into enemy territory where ambushes awaited.
“It is amazing that they are repeating mistakes that I would have thought were very painful ones that they would have learned in the early days of the war.” Simon MilesAssistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and historian of the Soviet Union and U.S.-Soviet relations.
photo and video Armored vehicles battle each other, from a three-week tank battle outside Vuhledar in the Donetsk region, where Russia launched its latest offensive in January. Blown to pieces.
failure of bucha
As Ukraine and Russia prepared to launch new offensives in recent months, tanks, long a vital symbol of Russia’s military might, have become increasingly important both symbolically and strategically. Russia has used Cold War-era military vehicles in its attacks, according to the timesin stark contrast to Ukraine, where Western tanks from faraway allies are waiting to arrive on the battlefield.
But long before the staggering losses at Vuhledar, the failure of Russian tanks was evident just weeks into the war. A state attack on Bucha, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, captured Kiev and failed to secure a quick victory for Putin.
What grew into a 35-mile line of armored vehicles outside Bucha in February 2022 saw more than 100 Russian military vehicles descend on the town. The town was the site of suspected mass murder and several human rights violations a month ago. during war.
The convoy, which the Ukrainian military later appeared to say was actually ten separate tactical battalions belonging to Russia, According to the BBCultimately failed to capture Kiev after chaotic traffic jams forced the army to retreat.
Tactical and military experts say Russia’s original plan relied on secrecy and speed, but Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cover up his plans have proven costly.Cold weather. According to the BBC, a long line of tanks ran straight into Bucha’s sludge, were unable to advance, and were forced to divert to a more unoccupied road. There, little communication between battalions took place and traffic jams occurred.
At its peak, the line outside Bucha was 35 miles long, containing as many as 1,000 tanks, 2,400 mechanized infantry vehicles, and 10,000 personnel, the outlet reports. According to the BBC, Ukraine had early success in blowing up bridges and dams in front of the convoy, forcing Russian forces to reroute aimlessly.
Russian forces, along with tanks, began their withdrawal in late March. Shortly after, Ukraine defeated two of her largest battalions present near Hostmer Airport, and another of her 370 tented military trucks were destroyed by artillery, a startling start for Russia. equivalent to a loss of
Soldiers walk among destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, a suburb of Kiev, Ukraine, April 3, 2022.
AP Photo/Rodrigo Abdo, File
lessons not learned
The Battle of Vkhedal proved equally unsuccessful for Russia. Russia sent in a column of tanks again, with Ukrainian forces firing from afar and hiding from sight of a long convoy, The Times reported this week. Like Bucha, Russia failed to capture its intended target with her Vuhledar, making the same mistake it lost dozens of tanks a year earlier.
This is what Miles called a “half-baked” Russian attack on Vuhledar and eastern Ukraine, and one of the most serious mistakes. He attributed the failure to Putin’s growing frustration and suggested that the Russian president dismissed Supreme Commander Sergei Slovikin in mid-January because he disagreed with the military leader’s plan. Waiting for his second tranche of mobilized Russians to arrive on the battlefield, the attack is ostensibly better trained than his predecessor.
Instead, the Russians continue to make the very mistakes that Slovikin seemed to want Ukraine to make.
Ukrainians, on the other hand, are well positioned to absorb Russian aggression and launch their own. In particular, more Western weapons are promised on the way.
“I think Putin’s impatience is going to be a big loss for them,” Miles said. “Because they are either poorly prepared to attack, incapable of meaningful exploitation, at least in terms of opportunity cost, or they are much more susceptible to the influence of Ukrainians.”