By sending its last well-equipped units to the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command deprived units along the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine of vital resources, resulting in the loss of several key settlements. Forbes magazine reports this.
It should be noted that the 21st mechanized brigade and the 225th assault battalion were moved to the Kursk region. They are equipped with Swedish-made CV90 combat vehicles and Swedish or German-made tanks: Strv 122 or Leopard 2A6. These are some of the best combat vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the publication notes.
“Every Strv 122 and Leopard 2A6 is priceless. Ukraine received only 10 Strv 122s from Sweden and 21 Leopard 2A6s from Germany and Portugal, all in 2023. As recently as this spring, about 20 survivors of these 31 tanks belonged to the 21st Mechanized Brigade. While… the 33rd and 155th Mechanized Brigades use older and more numerous Leopard 2A4 models and have received several batches of new tanks to replace battlefield losses, it is unlikely that the 21st Mechanized Brigade with its new tank models receive new vehicles. The Swedish and German armies are struggling to maintain their own tank brigades. “None of them showed any willingness to part with their best tanks.” – says the article.
According to some reports, the 21st mechanized brigade has already lost at least one tank near Kursk, the magazine writes. A video that circulated online late last month showed a Strv-122 on fire after being hit by a kamikaze drone. The tank was probably burned inside and there was no point in repairing it, even if the Ukrainian troops managed to remove it from the battlefield.
That the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is willing to risk its last Strv-122 and Leopard 2A6 in Kursk says a lot about the importance they attach to the invasion of this area. But invasion attempts make eastern and southern cities vulnerable and equipment irreplaceable, the publication states.
