The first footage of a British Challenger 2 tank being destroyed in Eastern Ukraine’s fighting zone is now available on the “Military Affairs” Telegram channel. A Ukrainian soldier caught the burning tank on their camera in the Rabotino area in the Zaporizhzhia region.
According to a message on the Telegram channel, the Challenger 2, which was serving the reserve of the 82nd Specialised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was likely destroyed by artillery fire.
Remember that the United Kingdom stated in February 2023 that it would dispatch fourteen Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine? They were absent from the front lines for an extended period, causing observers to wonder what was happening. The tanks were first spotted on the Zaporizhia front in July. They are believed to be there with American Stryker armoured personnel carriers and German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, showing that Kyiv has put all its remaining troops into a counteroffensive, especially the “Maroon” tactical group.
The British Challenger 2 tanks were shipped to Ukraine in March of this year; however, the Russian military did not meet them up close because they are not used in direct attacks but as artillery for long-range shelling. Earlier, Ukrainian sources reported that they had been redeployed towards the southern direction. The tanks have been in operational reserve in the past, along with the unit from the airborne assault brigade that eventually became responsible for them.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have revealed that British tanks do not directly assault Russian army positions because the Challenger 2 is only equipped to destroy enemy armoured vehicles and does not have the necessary projectiles to engage infantry. Armor-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) and high-explosive squash head (HESH) rounds are available to the Ukrainian armed forces. Neither of these types of ammunition causes shrapnel damage to infantry. It is common knowledge that British trainers have provided training to the members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on how to operate tanks armed with depleted uranium.
Challenger 2 was designed to destroy vehicles, and one of its best features is that it can hit its target from a long way away and is very accurate, says a Ukrainian crew of the British tank. There are infantry troops and artillery to deal with infantry, he adds.
Interestingly, this might be the first case of the Challenger Tank destruction worldwide, not only the first footage. The tank is known to have participated in multiple conflicts, including the Iraq war, without losses.
Shocking?