A video shared by the Ukrainian military purportedly shows two Russian tanks “spectacularly” exploding following a rocket strike.
In a video shared on Facebook by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Tuesday, the tanks are shown from above before and after exploding, apparently as the result of a Ukrainian rocket attack.
The video was shared as speculation mounts that at least two military parades that were scheduled to take place in Russia next month were canceled due to an increasing tank shortage.
“The video shows how the soldiers of the 43rd separate artillery brigade named after Hetman Taras Tryasil spectacularly destroyed two Russian tanks trying to attack Ukrainian positions,” the Ukrainian military said while sharing the video. “Let’s stand and win!”
A destroyed Russian tank points towards a former frontline on March 6, 2023, in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. Recently released video from Ukraine shows two Russian tanks being “spectacularly” destroyed.
John Moore/Getty
It is not clear where or when the tanks were destroyed. Ukraine’s 43rd Artillery Brigade is based out of Pereiaslav, which is located in the Kyiv region, about 60 miles south of the national capital.
The brigade, which was named after 17th-century Ukrainian folk hero and Cossack leader Taras Fedorovych, has been active in recent months in areas that include the embattled region of Donetsk.
The Twitter account “Ukraine Weapons Tracker” speculated that the tanks were “presumably T-72/T-80 series” and were destroyed in a High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) strike. The video was captured by a Ukrainian Leleka-100 drone, according to the account.
#Ukraine: Two Russian tanks (Presumably T-72/T-80 series) were destroyed- as claimed, by HIMARS strikes. A Ukrainian Leleka-100 UAV was used for observation. pic.twitter.com/nKgUkf1Pbn
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 11, 2023
At least one other video that purported to show a Russian tank being recently destroyed in Ukraine circulated online Tuesday. The Ukraine Weapons Tracker account shared a video of a tank suffering a “catastrophic” explosion after apparently running over a Ukrainian anti-tank mine in Donetsk.
Newsweek has not independently verified the authenticity or details of either of the videos.
The Ukrainian military said on Facebook on April 11 it has destroyed at least 3,644 Russian tanks since the war began on February 24, 2022. Seven tanks were added to the tally on Tuesday.
Ukraine has also captured a number of Russian tanks. One tank captured during the first month of the war, a T-80BVM nicknamed “bunny,” was destroyed this week after suffering damage in battle. Prior to its destruction, it had destroyed at least six other Russian tanks, according to Ukraine.
Parades to celebrate “Victory Day,” a holiday that commemorates the Soviet Union’s World War II victory every year on May 9, were canceled in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod oblasts this week.
While “security” was cited as the official reason for the cancelations, the move prompted speculation that the parades were called off due to Moscow’s dwindling supply of tanks and other military equipment.
Some suggested that the only tanks still available for display were aging models that could have been used by the Soviet Army during World War II.
“Is it because there is nothing left to show at the parade besides T-34?” tweeted Ukrainian commentator Maria Drutska. “Or they don’t want extra charity fireworks? Any other reasons?”
Newsweek has reached out via email to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment. » …
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