Take a look at this video.
Russia says it's
remotely detonated,
a tank
filled with explosives
in an apparent new tactic.
Ben Wedeman
joins us now from Zaporizhzhia.
And let's talk about that first.
Have we managed to geo locate
that incident thereand
if what the defense ministry
saying is true?
Have we seen
this used as a tactic before?
Yes, we believe it's in the Marine area,
which is near
the city of Donetsk, in the Donbas
region.
Now, according
to an account of this incident
put out by the Russian Defense
Ministry on its Telegram channel,
what you're seeing is a T54 tank
that's a Soviet
era tank built in the years
after World War Two.
Now, according to this account,
the tank was crammed with
43.5 tons of TNT,
plus 1000 kilos of explosives
extracted from other bombs as well.
According to this account,
apparently a tank man
got in the tank,
essentially pointed it
in the direction of Ukraine.
In lines, jumped out.
It went forward.
It appears to have hit a mine
and also got hit
by an RPG
round, fired from the Ukrainian lines.
And then it explodes.
The explosion is massive.
Clearly, there are some huge
quantity of explosives in that tank.
When it goes off.
We don't know
whether it actually succeeded
in puncturing the Ukrainian lines.
It appears to have been about 300
meters from the Ukrainian lines.
And we don't know
if they actually
the Russians were able to push forward
in that particular area.
But it does represent
a new if somewhat crude tactic.
And it's difficult
to say
if this is going to
be used on a wider scale,
but it certainly is dramatic.
At least that can be said Julia.
Certainly. Ben Wedeman, thank you.
And joining us now,
CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant
General Mark Hertling.
General, great to see you.
So help us understand
the significance here.
Yes, it's
a spectacular picture
and getting a lot of attention
because of that.
But what does it tell you
if the Russians are blowing up
some of their own tanks
in defense of territory?
Well, not quite sure.
Not quite sure yet, John.
But what I'd suggest is
we saw pictures weeks and months ago
about Russia bringing very old to 62,
even some 55 tanks to the front line.
So if you can remotely pilot them
like a kamikaze drone
or something like that
and put them into a front line,
you could actually maneuver
some of those tanks over
short distances
and then have them explode remotely.
It's kind of a moving
improvised explosive device, if you will.
Yes.
The United States
also has remotely piloted
vehicles like this not used very often.
They're usually used for reconnaissance.
But this is if this proves to be true,
this is a new type of tactic
that the Russians are using,
exploding old tanks on the front line.
It's seems a little bit
ridiculous, truthfully.
Let me show people
where we believe the most activity
is currently going on.
It's in this region
right here,
which is south of the city of Zapper.
I can push in to give people
a better sense.
These towns right here
are towns that the Ukrainians say
they have retaken over the last few days.
Now, you look at this, general,
and you say these towns are important
because of where they bring
the Ukrainians closer to.
And that's down here to the city.
A multiple there.
What's the significance?
Yeah, a couple of things.
On the first one,
you see that town of Paczki,
which is below a lot of coffee,
which the Ukrainians claimed.
The latter was something
that they overtook last week.
Last Friday,
They ask
is what the Russians are now saying
the Ukrainians have taken.
So it's it's getting information
from the other side.
And as you continue on those lines,
it takes it toward the city of multiple.
Also Bertie Ask and Mariupol,
which are clear on your maps, big city.
Those are three cities
which connect a major transport route
what they call the 14 European Highway.
That is how Russia is bringing goods
and resupplies
to their frontline troops
on that so-called southern bridge
that they have.
So what we're talking about
is the potential for for Ukraine
to continue their attack
even though they have not
reached the front line obstacle belts
what the Russians
are calling their zero line
where they have the most obstacles
and the most troops.
It does indicate
that Ukraine's offensive
in multiple directions is succeeding.
And even though
it seems to be going slowly
as a military guy.
What I tell you, two
or three to five to ten kilometers
a day is a pretty good
offensive operation
in multiple directions.
Talk more about this if you can, General,
because if the Ukrainians
are making progress, it is slow progress
and hard-won progress
because the Russians are so dug
in, particularly
along this line right here
so what does constitute success
for them, particularly in this region?
Well, if you
if you
draw that
line four more three more times, John,
There are four different
defensive belts
that have been monitored
through satellites.
The first to the Russians
have a limited number of troops
defending them,
although they do have minefields
and wires.
They do have some troops in the trenches.
And the Ukrainians
have been very successful
against those lines,
although it's moving slowly.
That map that you're showing
from that
front line
where the red begins
all the way to the bottom,
where those three cities are
we just talked about
is probably close to about 70 miles
So it is a tough offensive
as you're going through various
obstacle belts.
And like I said,
what the Russians are calling their zero
line is the one furthest south.
That's the one that has
the most officals, supposedly the best
trained Russian forces,
although in different parts of that line
you'll see you'll see different
standards of quality
and the Russian forces.
So what Ukrainian forces are
now trying to do is find the best place
to continue their attack
and even in some cases have their spots,
their special operations
forces behind those lines
and attacking
from the rear, along
with the territorial So, again,
it will be slow moving.
We've known this from the start.
There will be a whole lot of casualties
along each one of those four lines
on both sides.
But it's going to be dependent
on how stiff the Russian resistance is.
And what we've seen so far
is they are
they have become stiff in some areas.
And they have run away and others.
So it's going
they just
I'm going to introduce you
to a new doctrinal term
this morning, John.
And that's that's
depends on the situation
that the enemy holds
and which Ukraine can push through dots.
I will use that in conversation and claim
it as my own general super instructive.
Thank you so much.