The Russian Ministry of Defense released numerous battle reports at the start of the conflict in Ukraine, claiming to have destroyed the Ukrainian navy and air force, among other things. It is challenging to determine whether these war accounts are accurate or not. But as the war quickly moved against Russia, the government promptly implemented strict information controls.
The Russian Ministry of Defense was highly understated when mentioning its casualties while praising the performance of the Russian military. Naturally, the same was true for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. On March 2, the Russian Ministry of Defense only released a portion of the casualty totals, including the 498 fatalities and 1,597 injuries. It focused on the Ukrainian army suffering significantly more losses than the Russian army. It left out the details of captures and equipment losses. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense’s announcement of the losses, the Ukrainian military should have sustained significant equipment and personnel losses. It should no longer be able to engage in combat.
The Russian army has reportedly sustained significant casualties in Ukraine, as evidenced by the abundance of images and videos that have surfaced online and the destruction or abandonment of numerous heavy weapons, including main battle tanks. Only in February, the Ukrainian army reportedly destroyed 251 Russian tanks, 939 armored vehicles, 105 artillery systems, and a significant number of other equipment, according to the war report published by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Video of a Javelin ATGM strike on a Russian T-80BV tank by Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade. I believe some of the footage is old.https://t.co/FraUPRD7lU pic.twitter.com/GjRs3ndQCW
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) July 21, 2022
Recently, there has been news on social networks that the information from the US military shows that most of the tanks lost by the Russian army in Ukraine were destroyed by the US-made “Javelin” anti-tank missiles. The Ukrainian army launched 300 “Javelin” missiles, destroying the Russian armored target. The news has not yet been confirmed, but it can be seen from the video and photos that the Ukrainian army rarely released information about the Javelin missile. Some Russian tanks whose turrets were blown up are considered to have been hit by the Javelin. The top attack caused the ammunition to explode.
Before the outbreak of the war, the United States and other countries provided Ukraine with about 1,000 “Javelin” anti-tank missiles. In comparison, the United Kingdom provided about 2,000 NLAW anti-tank missiles. Both of these light anti-tank missiles can “fire and forget.” The ability and the ability to attack the top and the hit rate is high; it is difficult for Russian tanks and other targets to block its fatal blow. After the outbreak of the war, NATO countries provided Ukraine with many different types of anti-tank weapons, including the AT-4 rocket launchers, especially various kinds of M72 light anti-tank rocket launchers. The number is even more than 10,000.
Russian tank destroyed with NLAW: https://t.co/luEsCvgz9y
— Churchill 🇺🇦🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@UkrainianCrew) July 16, 2022
It is worth noting that many of the anti-tank weapons provided by NATO to Ukraine have not provided detailed information. Analysts believe that it is very likely that these military aids also include many anti-tank missiles, such as the ones that just entered service at the end of 2017. French MMP anti-tank missiles. Coupled with the anti-tank missiles and rocket launchers equipped by the Ukrainian army, the threat of armored vehicles such as Russian tanks in Ukraine is significant. This is probably why many Russian armored vehicles are abandoned when they are still capable of action. The reason is fear of being attacked by anti-tank weapons.
A prominent Ukrainian scientist carrying some of the “Javelin” missiles surreptitiously defected, and the Russian side showed clear interest in this sophisticated weapon. And according to specific news reports, the “Javelin’s” arrival is what initially led the Russian tanks to leave eastern Ukraine. Before the start of the conflict, some Russian tanks stationed close to the Ukrainian border installed iron cages above the tank turrets to detonate the “Javelin”-shaped warhead in advance. However, the Ukrainian army quickly demonstrated that this strategy was utterly ineffective by using live ammunition. The UK’s NLAW has an explosively produced warhead, and its grid armor and explosive reactive armor are entirely useless.