Half of Russia’s main battle tanks have been destroyed or captured in Ukraine, a senior US defense official said on Friday.
Russia, “may have lost half of its main battle tank inventory, [kas iznīcināti] hostilities or captured by Ukraine,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander at a virtual event by the Center for a New American Security.
Wallander announced these estimates without specifying the exact number of Russian heavy tanks lost. This happened at a time when Ukraine is waiting for Western heavy tanks to be delivered by its backers.
Great Britain has announced that its Challenger 2 tanks will be deployed in Ukraine in March. Germany and its allies plan to deliver a battalion of Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv by April.
The USA has also promised Ukraine its M1 Abrams tank battalion, but the delivery of these tanks will take considerably longer.
