Russian defense chiefs have been mocked for claiming to have destroyed a lethal Leopard 2 tank supplied by Germany – when in fact they had blown up tractors in Ukrainian fields.
The ridicule was led by the head of Wagner’s private army, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who sees it as further proof of the bumbling incompetence of Putin’s defense and army chiefs.
The Russian Defense Ministry hailed “images of the destruction of foreign armored vehicles, including Leopard tanks”.
But in reality, military analysts say the footage shows Russia blasting agricultural vehicles with a missile fired from a Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter.
In the video, a Russian crew member aboard the helicopter can be heard asking, “What kind of machine is this?”
Russian defense chiefs have been mocked for claiming to have destroyed a lethal Leopard 2 tank supplied by Germany – when in fact they hit a combine harvester in Ukrainian fields (pictured)
The Russian Ministry of Defense welcomed “images of the destruction of foreign armored vehicles, including Leopard tanks”
But in reality, military analysts say the footage shows Russia blasting agricultural vehicles with a missile fired from a Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter.
One soldier can be heard saying, “Let’s hit him”, to which the other responds, “Ready to hit him.”
They could then be heard celebrating the strike and saying, “Yeah, direct hit.”
The Defense Ministry propaganda team told Russian media that the footage shows “the destruction of foreign armored vehicles, including Leopard tanks.”
Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov – the ministry’s spokesman – boasted of the vast Ukrainian losses without providing convincing evidence.
Total losses in recent fighting amounted to “more than 1,500 Ukrainian servicemen, 28 tanks, including eight FRG-made Leopard tanks, three French-made AMX-10 wheeled tanks and 109 armored fighting vehicles”.
But even Russian military analysts disputed the footage of the Leopard tank as claims of German tank destruction quickly backfired.
Military news channel Telegram quipped: “We don’t want to say anything, but the vehicles in the images released by the Russian Defense Ministry don’t look like any tanks in their silhouette.
“The silhouettes look the most like combine harvesters. This is evidenced by the characteristic high-mounted discharge augers (pipes), which are clearly not guns due to their location. Moreover, the “tanks” show no sign of turrets.’
The alleged targets were John Deere 9000 combines and a John Deere 4830 sprayer type tractor.
“We don’t know why it was necessary to present footage of a mistaken agricultural equipment defeat as an actual video of the Leopards’ defeat,” the military analysts said.
Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group, also accused Russian forces of mistaking the combines for the Leopard 2 tank.
“The Russian Ministry of Defense today published an impressive work of [its troops]he said sarcastically.
“The images clearly show Leopard tanks moving in a strange tactical maneuver towards each other. These tanks are disguised as combine harvesters.
“Their muzzles are curved downwards. This did not prevent our [troops] to discern the enemy equipment in them…
Russian defense chiefs have been mocked for claiming to have destroyed a lethal Leopard 2 tank supplied by Germany – when in fact they hit a combine harvester in Ukrainian fields
Military analysts mocked the Russian Defense Ministry for claiming to have destroyed a Leopard 2 tank, when in reality they had destroyed tractors
‘These [Ukrainian] The b******s have learned to disguise their chariots as harvesters and their crew as farmers. Thank you[Russian troops]for your great work. Now we will destroy anything with a crooked snout.
Prigozhin also criticized claims by the Russian Defense Ministry that 1,500 Kiev soldiers were killed in two days in the besieged city of Bakhmut, calling them “absurd science fiction”.
Prigozhin, whose mercenary troops have spent months fighting in Bakhmut on behalf of the Kremlin, has scorned his country’s establishment after claiming to have thwarted a second major offensive in Donetsk.
In remarks posted on his news service’s Telegram channel, the 61-year-old said to kill many Ukrainian soldiers would need daily gains of 150 km (93 miles).
“So I think it’s just wild, nonsensical science fiction,” Prigozhin said.
To add up the figures provided by the ministry would imply “we have already destroyed the entire planet five times over”, he added sarcastically.
Separately, Prigozhin demanded that 200,000 troops be placed under his control to correct the mess left by the Russian forces.
He warned that Russia was losing the war due to the incompetence of the army high command.
‘The Wagner PMC [private military company] is today the only full-fledged military structure – with planes, helicopters, tanks, artillery and all that is necessary, ”he said.
“I need 200,000 people. Less than 200,000 on the Lugansk-Donetsk frontline will not make it. We are ready to take full responsibility.
He warned that Ukraine had already broken through Russian lines.
Last week, Prigozhin lambasted Russian military leaders after Ukrainian armed forces successfully recaptured settlements on the outskirts of Bakhmut.
Prigozhin said it was a “shame” that Kyiv troops were able to push back the Russian lines and capture Berkhivka, a town in the northern suburbs of the besieged city.
Last month, Prigozhin’s Wagner Group succeeded in wresting Bakhmut from Ukrainian hands after months of brutal fighting reminiscent of World War I trench warfare, with tens of thousands killed on both sides.
