Spiegel magazine, citing the crew of a Leopard 2 tank stationed near the front line, reported that the Ukrainian tankers participating in the counterattack in the Zaporozhye region feigned a malfunction in order to evade the battle.
The magazine added: “A 22-year-old tanker reported that some soldiers refuse to participate in the war. Some pretend to have tank damage to avoid fighting against the Russian army.”
According to the article, none of the three tank crew members interviewed by the magazine condemned “the skeptics, because if a Russian shell hits the turret of the Leopard tank, it will turn into a pile of ash.”
Crew members confirmed to the magazine that in the early days of the counterattack, three Leopard tanks exploded while passing mines laid by Russian troops “almost everywhere.” The first tank was completely destroyed, the second disabled, and the third could not be withdrawn due to the large number of mines, as well as due to the American-made Radley infantry fighting vehicle blocking the road.
The magazine quoted another Ukrainian soldier named “Misha” as saying: “On the other hand, the (Russians) are fighting not recruits, but experienced fighters. They don’t run when the Leopard tank bombs them. But these rascals are strong.” Al-Askari pointed out that there are failures and problems in the operation of the tank’s laser guidance device, especially on “secondary targets” at night, so it needs to be constantly adjusted.
The magazine quotes Ukrainian servicemen as saying they all received training in Germany from mid-February to the end of March before heading to the front.
The magazine wrote: “Fighting is expensive for Ukrainians. Despite Kyiv’s information embargo, it soon becomes clear. A few kilometers behind the front line, bloodied soldiers are being taken to the hospital. And he quotes doctors on the front line that a large number of wounded have died in the past few days.
Source: News
