(Washington DC) There is a clear, well-documented reality about the
Russian war in Ukraine, Russian tanks are getting absolutely decimated.
Ukrainian anti-armor tactics, weapons, and will-to-fight halted, stopped, damaged,
or completely destroyed hundreds of invading tanks during the opening months of the war.
All available information suggests that the destruction of Russian tanks has continued
at a rapid and even alarming pace. There are many statistical assessments that,
given the well-understood information warfare variables in combat, differ greatly.
All of the estimates, however, tell a similar story, which is that Ukrainian anti-armor weapons,
artillery, and tactics are destroying Russian T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reports that Ukrainians have destroyed as many as 3,702
Russian tanks, though reports from multiple news organizations such as the Wall Street Journal,
Telegraph, Business Insider, and The Guardian vary considerably, generally
ranging from in count between 1,000-to-2,000 Russian tanks having been destroyed.
One report in the Guardian newspaper cites the International Institute of Strategic Studies
(IISS) saying Russia’s existing tank fleet in its Army has reduced from 2,927 to 1,800,
a massive 1,100 in tank losses. This count is also aligned with a Russian tank destruction assessment
from Oryx open-source intelligence (cited in Sandboxx news) which notes the destruction
or capture of more than 1,100 tanks. Finally, the Pentagon is also quoted as suggesting this number,
having estimated that as many as 1,000 Russian tanks have been destroyed.
There has been no shortage of analysis, speculation,
and factual reporting regarding the mixture of reasons why this appears to be the case.
The exact combination of a number of variables may be impossible to assess, yet some of the main
reasons relate to the effectiveness of anti-armor weapons such as Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Finally, perhaps the most impactful reason may simply be Russian morale,
as many Russian soldiers may have simply not wanted to kill Ukrainians or impair themselves
in support of a questionable cause. There were numerous anecdotal reports of Russian
soldiers abandoning their vehicles in an apparent effort to abandon the fight.
The PzH 2000 is a modern self-propelled howitzer of German origin. The PzH 2000 was developed at
the request of the German military following the cancellation of the SP-70 project. PzH
2000 stands for Panzerhaubitze 2000, or "self-propelled gun 2000" in English.
The layout of the PzH 2000 is conventional.
The engine is mounted at the front with the turret and ammunition in the rear. The driver
is seated in the hull on the right of the engine. The rest of the crew is seated in the fighting
compartment. The chassis is based on many proven components of the Leopard 1 main battle tank.
The PzH 2000 is fitted with the Rheinmetall 155mm L/52 chromium lined howitzer connected
to an automatic loader and Modular Charge System specifically designed
for the PzH 2000. The PzH 2000 has a fully automated fire control
system and has a multiple-round simultaneous impact capability.
The 155mm L/52 barrel allows for long-range fire. Normal unassisted ammunition may be
fired up to 30 km, base bleed rounds well over 40 km depending on the type. During tests,
a range of 67 km has been achieved with the South African rocket-assisted shells.
The fully automated loading of charges and rounds results in a very high burst rate of fire.
With the standard 24 Volt loading system 3 rounds can be fired in 9 seconds, with the sustained rate
of fire being 10 rounds per minute. The optional 48 Volt loader has an even better performance.
The advanced fire control systems in conjunction with the muzzle radar give the PzH 2000 a high
level of accuracy. A 7.62mm MG3 or MAG machine gun is mounted on the turret roof for self-defense.
For a self-propelled howitzer the PzH 2000 has a quite significant level of armor protection
while it has an all-welded and relatively thick steel hull. Add-on roof armor increases the level
of protection versus top attack weapons. The PzH 2000 is operated under armor protection. An NBC
system, fire suppression system, and smoke grenade dischargers are fitted as standard.
Survivability is further increased with its shoot and scoot ability.
The PzH 2000 can start a fire mission while on the move with the first round fired only seconds
after coming to a halt. The dash speed allows the PzH 2000 to quickly leave after firing.
The mobility of the PzH 2000
is quite good for such a heavy vehicle. The tracked chassis provides a good cross-country
performance. An MTU 1.000 hp diesel provides propulsion, while an APU provides power when
the engine is not running. Even though the power to weight ratio isn't very high, especially when
fully loaded and fitted with additional roof armor, the dash speed remains high.
The PzH 2000 is used by various European nations, with the main user being Germany. Even though the
PzH 2000 was introduced when the Cold War was over and demand shifted to lightweight
wheeled self-propelled howitzer it sold reasonably well. The PzH 2000 remains in production today.
Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in the streets of
Bakhmut - but Russia does not control the eastern city, its deputy mayor has said.
Bakhmut has seen months of fighting, as Russia tries to take charge. Taking the
city would be a rare battlefield success in recent months for Russia. But despite that,
the city's strategic value has been questioned.
Some experts say any Russian victory could be pyrrhic - that is,
not worth the cost. Thousands of Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut,
which had a pre-war population of around 75,000. Ukrainian commanders
estimate that Russia has lost seven times as many soldiers as they have.
On Saturday, UK military intelligence said Russian advances in the northern
suburbs had left the Ukraine-held sections vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.
Currently there is no communication in the city so the city is cut out,
the bridges are destroyed and the tactics the Russians are using is the tactic of parched land.
The fall of Bakhmut has long been predicted, but for more than six months it hasn't happened.
So any reports of potential Ukrainian withdrawal should be treated with
caution. It is hard to know what is going on without independent sources.
Both sides have a greater incentive to confuse their enemy than provide accurate information.
But it may be that Ukrainian commanders are beginning to calculate that the
cost of defending Bakhmut - in terms of blood and treasure - is now too great,
despite the grievous losses being inflicted on Russian troops.
And if so, then they might want what Western analysts call "a controlled
fighting withdrawal" to protect the remaining Ukrainian forces so they can be redeployed.
But any withdrawal may be hard fought and could take some time.
"I believe we shouldn't give any inch of our land to the enemy,"
Mr Marchenko said. "We should protect our land,
we should protect our people and we should protect the businesses that are on this land."
The city was "almost destroyed",
with bridges ruined and communication cut off, Mr Marchenko added.
"They want to destroy Bakhmut, they want to destroy the city like they did with Mariupol
and Popasna," he said, referring to two cities in the east of Ukraine now under Russian control.