Russia probably lost half of its heavy tanks in Ukraine, Washington says

Half of Russia’s heavy tanks were probably destroyed or captured by Ukraine, a Pentagon official said on Friday.

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Russia “probably lost half of its main combat tank reserve in battles and capture by the Ukrainians,” Celeste Wallander said at an online event for the Center for a New American Security.

This estimate by Ms Wallander, who did not provide an exact figure for Russia’s loss of tanks since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, comes as Kyiv prepares to receive heavy tanks from its Western allies.

The United Kingdom has indicated that its Challenger 2 tanks will be deployed in Ukraine in March, while Germany and its allies plan to send their battalion of Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv by April.

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Washington has also promised a battalion of 31 Abrams, but they should take longer to get to Ukraine.