The British-made Challenger 2 has been touted as being one of the most advanced main battle tanks (MBTs) in service today, but much like the German Leopard 2 or really any military vehicle, it isn’t invincible. That fact was noted as video circulated on social media that showed a burning wreck, reportedly the first destroyed Challenger 2 in the war in Ukraine.
The open source military intelligence group Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) shared the video with the caption, “A Ukrainian Challenger 2 tank was destroyed near Robotyne, #Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A damaged T-64BV and two destroyed IMVs can be seen too. This is the first confirmed loss of this tank in Ukraine and is also the first one ever destroyed by enemy action.”
The T-64BV is a Cold War-era platform that was developed in the Soviet Union, and which remains among the most widely employed tanks in service with Kyiv’s forces; while the infantry mobility vehicles (IMVs) were identified as Kozak (Ukrainian for “Cossack”), a locally made wheeled platform.
The footage follows claims from Kyiv that its forces have successfully breached the first Russian defensive lines in Southern Ukraine. However, where this incident took place has not been verified, but the BBC reported that it is consistent with other footage near the village of Robotyne.
David Axe of Forbes also suggested that the video may have been recorded on a roadside outside of Robotyne in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
There Will Be Losses—And It Will Be Noted On Social Media
This is the first loss of a Challenger 2 in combat, but as Axe noted, this highlighted the greater survivability for the four person crew, as the tank’s turret was still intact—while there have been reports that the crew did survive the vehicle’s destruction.
Yet, the loss of the tank was still noted by supporters of the Kremlin, who were quick to claim that Kyiv can expect its remaining 13 Challenger 2 MBTs to meet a similar fate.
Propaganda Coup For Moscow
Though the loss of a single tank may not seem significant in wartime, it was still a minor propaganda victory for the Kremlin as the British military had been able to declare that not a single Challenger 2 had been lost in combat.
That fact obviously changed on Monday.
Of course, few military platforms have such a record of no combat losses—although the F-15 Eagle jet fighter does have the unique distinction of having never been shot down in combat. The fact remains that weapons platforms are designed for war and the enemy will get lucky at some point.
“We shouldn’t draw conclusions about single incidents,” explained Dr. Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven.
“Localized factors like terrain, operator error, or just the chance—luck—of warfare as von Clausewitz would say, may be a better explanation for the loss, rather than systemic deficiencies in the weapons system or some new tactic developed by the enemy,” added Schmidt. “If we start seeing wide-scale losses, then things become more worrying.”
Losses In Wartime
Highlighting the destruction of even a single tank may be an attempt to change the narrative that Russia is losing ground.
“While no Challenger 2 had been previously lost in combat, there is little significance to the ‘first being destroyed’ in Ukraine other than the tragedy of warfare,” said military vehicle historian John Adams-Graf, editor of History In Motion, the official publication of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association.
“I am honestly not shocked that a Challenger 2 was destroyed in Ukraine—it is a tank and all tanks are vulnerable to drone attacks, hidden mines, IEDs and even so-called tank-killer missiles,” added Harry Kazianis, president of Rogue States Project and a senior editor for 19FortyFive.
“To be even more frank, I am surprised it took this long for a loss to be confirmed. Russia has setup massive tank-killing zones in Ukraine and sprawling defensive fortifications to kill even the best Western tanks,” Kazianis continued.
The war in Ukraine has already seen thousands of tanks destroyed, and likely hundreds—perhaps even thousands more—could also be lost if the war continues at its current pace.
“Russia and Ukraine are fighting a war with primary weapons and tactics devised for the Cold War,” added Adams-Graf. “In that scenario, every tank is vulnerable to destruction. The longer this war drags out, the more these reports of ‘first destroyed’ will be replaced by ‘another destroyed.’ It’s the truth of modern tank warfare: If it can be seen, it can be destroyed. This Challenger 2 was obviously seen by its adversary. Neither the Challenger 2 nor any other armored vehicle is invincible on today’s battlefield.”
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